Despite public disagreements over whether diplomatic talks with Iran should continue, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found common ground during their recent meeting on the need to intensify both political and economic pressure on Tehran, according to a Motzoei Shabbos report on Channel 12 News.

The report indicated that during their discussion last Wednesday, the two leaders affirmed that Washington would escalate measures aimed at constraining Iran’s strategic and financial strength. A senior U.S. official familiar with the meeting noted: “We agreed that we will pursue a maximum pressure policy against Iran with all our might, for example with regard to the sale of Iranian oil to China.”

Nonetheless, a significant division persisted regarding whether diplomatic engagement with Iran should move forward. Netanyahu told the American president that he believed any attempt at reaching a renewed agreement was doomed from the outset. According to the report, he stated: “You can’t make a deal with Iran. Even if you sign a deal with them, they won’t honor it.”

Trump, however, did not fully adopt Netanyahu’s stance. Wanting to explore the possibility of diplomacy, he responded: “We’ll look into it. Let’s give it a chance.”

The report added that senior advisers such as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also cautioned the president that historically it has been extremely difficult to secure a strong, enforceable agreement with Iran. At the same time, they acknowledged that, at this juncture, Iranian officials “are saying all the right things.”

Meanwhile, reports circulated earlier Saturday that the U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if Trump orders an attack, according to Reuters.