Netanyahu seeks new Trump meeting over Iran missile threat concerns

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to meet with President Donald Trump; Israeli officials have warned that Iran’s recent missile drills could be used as cover for a surprise attack, creating new urgency over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and military posture ahead of talks expected to be held on December 29.

These concerns were also expressed publicly on Monday by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who warned that Iran’s nuclear ambitions and military posture pose a direct threat not only to Israel, but also to the US and Europe.

Speaking at an Israeli National Security Institute conference on Monday, Huckabee said President Donald Trump has maintained a consistent red line on Iran. “All I can do is point out to you what the president has said repeatedly, and he has repeatedly said that Iran will never enrich uranium and will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

ISRAELI PRESIDENT ISAAC HERZOG THANKS TRUMP FOR THE ‘HISTORIC’ IRAN ATTACK

“This poses a threat, but not just to Israel, not just to the United States. This poses a real threat to all of Europe,” he added. “And if Europeans don’t understand this, then they are even more stupid than I sometimes think.”

In his interview, Huckabee suggested that Iran may not have taken this message seriously until the US military intervention earlier this year. “I don’t know that they took him seriously until the night the B-2 bombers went to Fordow,” Huckabee said. “I hope they got the message, but it seems like they didn’t get the whole message because, as you noted, they’re trying to restructure and they’re trying to find a new way to dig the hole deeper and secure it more,” he said at the conference.

Huckabee also stated that Iran’s long-standing threats are mainly aimed at Washington. “Iran has threatened America for 46 years, since the Ayatollahs came to power in 1979,” he said. “They always said death to Israel and death to America. In the same sentence.”

“Israel is just an appetizer because you are closer and an easier target than the vast geographical area that represents the United States,” Huckabee continued. “But they never concealed the fact that their real drive, their ultimate goal, was to destroy the United States.”

HEGSETH AND PENTAGON BRASS PRAISE TRUMP’S ‘MAGNIFICANT’ MILITARY SUCCESS IN IRAN NUCLEAR ATTACKS

Drone footage shows a residential area affected by Iran’s early morning missile attack on Israel in Be’er Sheva, Israel, on June 24, 2025. (Yonatan Honig/REUTERS)

These remarks come at a time when Israel is growing concerned about Iran’s recent military activities. Israeli officials warned the Trump administration over the weekend that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile exercise “may be a preparation for an attack on Israel,” according to Axios, citing three Israeli and U.S. sources with knowledge of the matter. An Israeli source told Axios that although intelligence now shows power movements in Iran, Israel’s risk tolerance is much lower than it was before Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack.

A senior Israeli official told Fox News Digital that concerns about background Iran drills are based on history rather than speculation. “Iran is conducting an exercise. The concern that the exercise will turn into a surprise attack is a real concern based on history. This is how the Yom Kippur War started. I remind you, we should not ignore this,” the official said.

The source rejected speculation that the drills signaled an imminent coordinated military action with Washington. “If we were planning an attack with the United States, it probably wouldn’t be reported in the media,” the official said.

UN NUCLEAR CHIEF SAYS IRAN HAS THE MATERIALS TO BUILD A BOMB BUT HAS NO PLAN TO MAKE IT

US President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House for a meeting on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

The official acknowledged that Iran’s activities have also changed Israel’s domestic political conversations, including debates over smuggling of draft legislation. “The headlines in Israel are now about the Iranian threat rather than the bill,” the official said. “Spin? Is there something special? Is there truth? Maybe. But we always have to be prepared.”

NBC News reported Saturday that Netanyahu plans to use his call with Trump to argue that Iran’s re-expansion of its ballistic missile program poses a growing threat that may require rapid action. According to the report, Netanyahu is expected to emphasize that Iran’s activities endanger not only Israel but also broader regional stability and US interests.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

Iranians burn American flags during an anti-US demonstration in front of the former US embassy headquarters in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday, May 9, 2018. (Photographer: Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

NBC reported that Netanyahu is expected to present Trump with several options, including possible U.S. intervention or support, if Israel decides additional military action against Iran is necessary.

Asked on Thursday about a possible meeting with Netanyahu on December 29, Trump told reporters: “We haven’t formally arranged that, but he wants to see me.” Israeli officials announced that a meeting was planned for December 29.

Fox News Digital reached out to Netanyahu’s spokesman but did not receive a response.