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Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Israel Fears Being Boxed In by Trump's Iran Talks
President Trump said he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against taking actions—like a military strike—that could disrupt U.S.-Iran weeks into negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, Israeli officials are concerned the Trump administration could agree to a deal that doesn't block Tehran's ability to produce a nuclear bomb but curtails the option of Israeli military action. That puts Israel in a bind with its most important ally on its most pressing national security question: the risk of a nuclear-armed Iran. Israel's efforts to stiffen the U.S. negotiating position and preserve the option for a military strike at Iran's facilities have led to frustration at the White House. President Trump said Wednesday he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against taking actions—like a military strike—that could disrupt the talks between the U.S. and Iran. 'I told him this would be very inappropriate to do right now, because we're very close to a solution,' Trump said during a press conference at the White House. Netanyahu has publicly expressed Israel's concerns, warning that a bad deal is worse than no deal. The nuclear negotiations began April 12, and the two sides have met five times, with the U.S. represented by Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's team headed by its foreign minister. The two sides remain deadlocked for now over the Trump team's insistence that Iran must give up the ability to enrich uranium. Trump has said repeatedly that he prefers a diplomatic solution to the standoff but that military options would be on the table if a deal can't be reached. In a letter sent to Iran's supreme leader in March, Trump set a two-month time frame for negotiations to succeed, though administration officials have played down the idea of a strict deadline. Many in Israel worry the Trump administration won't stick to its red line on enrichment in its enthusiasm to reach a deal. Trump himself has said he hadn't decided on the matter. Witkoff said before the talks started that the U.S. recognized both sides would need to make concessions for a deal. 'The fear is because Trump wants a deal and Iran can stall for time, we will end up with a deal that does not adhere to the zero enrichment principle,' said Avner Golov, a former senior director at Israel's National Security Council who is now with MIND Israel, a national security advisory group. European and former U.S. officials who have negotiated with Iran are also skeptical the administration will be able to cut a deal that doesn't allow Iran some capacity to enrich uranium. For now, the U.S. and Iran are working on a framework laying out the principles that would shape a deal. A senior U.S. official said the U.S. is preparing to give Iran a 'term sheet' that would include an end to enrichment. 'If they don't accept these terms, it's not going to be a good day for the Iranians,' the official said. Netanyahu has said his government would back a deal that would end Iran's nuclear fuel enrichment program. Iran, however, has insisted on the ability to enrich uranium as a core demand over two decades of nuclear negotiations. The nuclear deal struck by the Obama administration in 2015 allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium but it put strict limits on its nuclear activities for 10 years in an effort to keep Tehran at least one year away from being capable of amassing enough nuclear fuel for a bomb. Trump pulled out of the deal during his first term. There is widespread agreement in Israel that the country needs to retain the right to act independently on Iran no matter what the outcome of the talks. Israel expanded its options last year by battering Iranian ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and taking out many of Iran's air defenses during unprecedented direct exchanges of fire between the countries. Those accomplishments would make it harder for Iran to defend against or respond to an attack. Iran, however, has sped up its progress toward being able to produce a nuclear weapon. It has sharply increased its production of near weapons-grade enriched uranium, according to the United Nations' atomic agency, and the U.S. believes it could produce a rudimentary bomb in a few months. Iran has been digging tunnels deep under its main Nantaz enrichment site. People with knowledge of Iran's program say that work is far from complete, but eventually it could allow Iran to produce fuel for nuclear weapons out of reach of airstrikes and resume its nuclear program in the wake of an attack. Those efforts could make it more attractive to strike before they are finished—even if the nuclear talks were dragging on. Some in Israel argue it should go ahead and attack Iran's nuclear program even without U.S. support, while the window of opportunity remains open. But that would alienate its key ally and be less effective or difficult to pull off without American military help—including vital American assistance in fending off any large-scale Iranian military response to an Israeli attack. 'Israel isn't going to go for a military option without American agreement,' said Raz Zimmt, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies. 'So there is concern both that the agreement won't be good enough and that we will miss another opportunity to take care of the nuclear issue more deeply.' Washington's hope, U.S. officials said, is that a deal framework would address those concerns and convince Israel to hold off on imminently attacking Iran. No one in the Trump administration has the patience for a years of drawn-out negotiations, particularly with the risk of Israeli strikes on Iran. 'We have some disagreements with Israel over how to approach this right now,' the senior U.S. official said. 'But our approach could change if they don't want to make a deal,' the official said, referring to Iran. Israel had already planned for an attack on Iran this year but held off after a request by the Trump administration to allow for negotiations, according to a person familiar with Israel's planning. Any military strike would likely only delay Iran's fortified and extensive nuclear program, and would require a sustained effort and multiple rounds of fighting before either the regime agrees to give up its nuclear program or is toppled, former Israeli officials and security experts said. Western and Israeli officials have said military action could set back an Iranian nuclear program at least a year, but there is considerable uncertainty over the impact an Israeli attack would have on Iran's program, including its enrichment sites and stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The debate is coming to a head as U.S.-Israeli relations have been strained over Israel's handling of the war in Gaza and U.S. decisions that have caught Israel by surprise. While the alliance remains strong, Trump recently skipped Israel on his swing through the Persian Gulf in May, reached a cease-fire deal with Yemen's Houthi militant group even as it continues to fire missiles at Israel, and negotiated with Hamas to secure the release of the last living American hostage held in Gaza while many Israeli captives continue to be held. Israel has repeatedly acted alone against perceived nuclear threats in the region. It destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 and a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser under Netanyahu, said Israel could be forced to act independently again. 'We prefer a good agreement,' Amidror said. 'If in the end it is a bad agreement, Israel should use kinetic force to destroy Iran's nuclear program, even if the U.S. opposes it.' Write to Dov Lieber at Laurence Norman at and Alexander Ward at Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Middle East trip handed Israel a historic opportunity — if it chooses to act, experts say
TEL AVIV – As President Donald Trump wrapped up his high-stakes Middle East tour on Friday, many media outlets portrayed his decision to bypass Israel as evidence of a rift with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, while Air Force One did not land in Israel, experts say Trump's visit advanced policies that align closely with Israeli interests and presented a strategic opportunity that Jerusalem has yet to seize. Avner Golov, vice president at MIND Israel and a former senior director of Israel's National Security Council, told Fox News Digital, "Israel sees a massive wave approaching to sweep across the Middle East — a wave of momentum and change. The decision it faces is whether to ride it or be crushed beneath it." Trump Makes Historic Uae Visit As First Us President In Nearly 20 Years Throughout the visit, Trump emphasized points that directly reflect Israeli priorities. On Tuesday, he condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, called for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords and warned Iran over its nuclear ambitions. On Wednesday, he even extended the normalization initiative to Syria. When asked aboard Air Force One about skipping Israel, Trump said, "This is good for Israel. Having a relationship like I have with these countries... I think it's very good." Read On The Fox News App In Doha on Thursday, Trump went further, stating: "I want to see [Gaza] be a freedom zone. And if it's necessary, I think I'd be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone." According to two Arab officials quoted by The Times of Israel, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told mediators in Doha that Washington does not intend to pressure Israel into ending the war in Gaza — aligning with Prime Minister Netanyahu's firm stance. On Friday, President Trump was asked in an interview with Fox News Chief political anchor, Bret Baier on Special Report, if he was frustrated with Netanyahu. Trump responded, "No, look, he's got a tough situation. You have to remember there was an October 7th that everyone forgets, it was one of the most violent days in the history of the world. Not the Middle East, the world, when you look at the tapes. And the tapes are there for everyone to see." A readout released on Thursday by the State Department of a call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Minister Netanyahu, also showed continued support for the Jewish state. "The Secretary stressed the deep U.S. commitment to its historic relationship with Israel and the ironclad U.S. support for Israeli security," adding "The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed Syria following President Trump's historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. The Secretary and Prime Minister also shared their mutual commitment to make sure Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon." Trump Signs Agreements With Qatar On Defense And Boeing Purchases Channel 12 chief political correspondent Amit Segal told Fox News Digital, "There is an uncomfortable experience from an Israeli perspective to see Air Force One flying over us on its way to countries, some of which are outright hostile and others semi-hostile. If you are not at the table, you are on the plate." "But this isn't personal. It's not about Netanyahu and Trump," Segal added. "Trump has full support for Israel — but when American interests come first, he acts accordingly. It's America First." Dan Senor, host of the podcast "Call Me Back" and a former state department official, agreed that despite headlines suggesting tension, policy tells a different story. "There's always noise in the press," Senor told Dana Perino, co-anchor of Fox News Channel's "America's Newsroom." "But policy right now is very strong. We're seeing maximum pressure on Iran, no public criticism of Israel — even as dozens of Israeli tanks are positioned near Gaza." Trump Says He'll Drop Sanctions On Syria In Move To Normalize Relations "What I found problematic in past administrations — especially under Obama — was when private criticism became public," Senor added. "That gave others a green light to pile on Israel. This administration, even if it disagrees, isn't airing it. And that matters most." On Friday, in a proclamation marking Jewish Heritage Month, Trump stated, "I believe there has never been a greater friend to the Jewish people than my Administration. We will never deviate from our conviction that anti-Semitism has no place in the greatest country in the world. As the 47th President of the United States, I will use every appropriate legal tool at my disposal to stop anti-Semitic assaults gripping our universities. We will proudly stand with our friend and ally, the State of Israel. I will never waver in my commitment." Tamir Haiman, former head of Israel's Military Intelligence and now director of the Institute for National Security Studies, said the Israeli government feared being caught off guard. "This is a player so strong that sometimes, without intending to, he can throw a small player off the field — like a giant who's spinning and accidentally knocks someone out of his way with his shoulder," Haiman told Fox News Digital. However, he emphasized that the developments in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Syria are not inherently bad for Israel — unless the government fails to act. "The missed opportunity here is enormous," he said. "There were two major levers Israel had — Israeli consent to U.S. arms deals with Saudi Arabia and American consent to lifting sanctions on Syria. Both could have been used to advance key Israeli interests: normalization with Saudi Arabia and ensuring Syria's development follows a non-jihadist path. And we [Israel] lost both." Trump Says Us Has Given Iran Proposal For Nuclear Deal The sense of urgency grew last week when Trump abruptly paused U.S. airstrikes on Iranian-backed Houthis just days after a missile landed near Ben Gurion Airport. Reports soon followed that Washington had dropped its demand for Israeli-Saudi normalization as a prerequisite for a U.S.–Saudi nuclear pact — a strategic goal long championed by Netanyahu. Reuters later confirmed the shift. Meanwhile, Saudi officials made clear that progress on the Palestinian issue remains a prerequisite for any nuclear deal — something seen as unlikely while the war in Gaza continues. "After the Saudi story, where we were thrown under the bus, I said we need to stop and investigate," Haiman said. "We shouldn't just say it's the president's whims. We need to ask, 'What depends on us? What needs to change?' I'm not sure they're doing that." The sharpest potential rift remains Iran. Jerusalem views a nuclear-armed Tehran as an existential threat. Haiman calls this "a historic window" to stop it, by force if needed. "The American interest is to finish wars, not enter them, and to seal a deal better than Obama's," he said, warning that a diplomatic track pursued over Israel's head could soon limit Israeli military options. Monday's release of 21-year-old American-Israeli Edan Alexander, freed after direct talks between Washington, Qatar and Hamas, added to some fears of Jerusalem being sidelined. Israel played only a logistical role. Within Israel, the Gaza war continues to divide strategists over whether to keep pressing Hamas or stop the war for a hostage deal. Haiman called the current "fight, deal, fight" rhythm "boiling the frog," but acknowledges that without a hostage deal now, the 21 living hostages might not survive. Golov believes it is time for Israel to stop reacting and start shaping events. He urged Jerusalem to push Washington to demand that "Qatar must stop funding Hamas, stop Al Jazeera's incitement, and pay a price for interfering inside Israel." Israel, he argued, does not have the leverage to do that alone. "It must anchor itself in a regional bloc — with the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan — states that are just as terrified of a Muslim Brotherhood resurgence." To get there, he said, Israel must climb aboard the wave Trump has already set in article source: Trump's Middle East trip handed Israel a historic opportunity — if it chooses to act, experts say
