Israel is experiencing a state of anxiety and anticipation following US statements and media reports indicating that Washington and Tehran are close to reaching an agreement that would end the war and open the door to broader understandings in the region.
\nIsrael’s Channel 13 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a high-level security meeting on Saturday evening, against the backdrop of progress made in the negotiations between the United States and Iran.
\nThe channel quoted an Israeli source as saying that “this matter is highly concerning to all parties” inside Israel, referring to the clauses of the anticipated agreement between Washington and Tehran.
\nAccording to the report, the Israeli army is closely monitoring the draft memorandum of understanding currently being finalized, amid concern over several key clauses\u2014most notably, the agreement’s failure to include a complete halt to Iranian uranium enrichment and its failure to prevent Tehran from continuing the development of ballistic missiles.
\nAt the same time, the Israeli army has entered a state of high alert in anticipation of the potential collapse of the talks and a resumption of military confrontation, according to the Israeli channel.
\nThese developments coincide with statements by US President Donald Trump, in which he confirmed that the United States and Iran are “on the verge of reaching an agreement,” while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointed to “some progress” in the negotiations.
\nAccording to a US official, the upcoming agreement includes extending the ceasefire for a period of 60 days, reopening the Strait of Hormuz without fees, and allowing Iran to sell its oil freely, in exchange for additional negotiations regarding the curbing of its nuclear program and the handover of highly enriched uranium.
\nAccording to the Axios website, the draft memorandum of understanding also stipulates an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon\u2014a clause that has drawn objections from Netanyahu and broad Israeli circles.
\nIn a related context, The New York Times, quoting two Israeli security sources, revealed that the Trump administration has “sidelined Israel” during the recent weeks of the war with Iran, excluding it almost completely from the negotiations. This has prompted Netanyahu’s government to track the US-Iranian communications through parallel diplomatic and intelligence channels.
\nThe two sources added that Israel found itself “subcontracted” to the United States after it became clear that Netanyahu’s promises to eliminate the Iranian regime were “unfeasible,” while Trump focused his efforts on ending the fighting rather than regime change in Tehran.<\/p>\n
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