Trump declares start of direct talks with Iran during meeting with Netanyahu

President Trump announced that the U.S. would begin direct engagement with Iran during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president stated that direct talks with Iran would start on Saturday. This move comes as new tariffs are about to go into effect on imports from Israel and other nations, causing turmoil in the stock market. President Trump did not indicate a readiness to eliminate tariffs on imports from Israel, stating that the U.S. provides a lot of help to Israel. The White House canceled a joint news conference with President Trump and Netanyahu ahead of their meeting. Netanyahu also visited the White House in early February. The president’s decision to levy tariffs on allies and enemies alike has strained relationships with traditional allies like Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that the old U.S.-Canada relationship is “over” and Canada will need to reduce its reliance on the U.S. President Trump believes that the tariffs he is imposing are unique to his administration, although he left open the possibility for negotiations with countries to reduce tariffs. The meeting with Netanyahu comes as Israel has renewed its military offensive in the Gaza Strip following a fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel breaking. Overall, the decision to engage with Iran directly and impose tariffs is causing uncertainty in global relationships and the stock market.