The Donald Trump administration has effectively sidelined Israel from negotiations with Iran, The New York Times reports, citing American and Israeli officials.
According to the newspaper’s sources, Israeli authorities are now receiving information about contacts between Washington and Tehran primarily through regional diplomats and their own intelligence services rather than directly from the United States.
American officials say Trump views Benjamin Netanyahu more as “a wartime ally” than as a full participant in the negotiating process who must be involved in any settlement.
The NYT notes that Israel failed to achieve the key objectives it declared during the war. Netanyahu had previously spoken of forcing regime change in Iran, destroying its nuclear program, and eliminating the country’s missile capabilities. Yet, as the newspaper writes, Tehran after the conflict “is behaving as though it won simply by surviving.”
According to the report, the draft agreement currently under discussion between the United States and Iran предусматривает only a temporary freeze of Iran’s nuclear program for up to 20 years.
Israeli officials fear that Iran’s ballistic missile program may not be included in any future deal at all. In addition, Tel Aviv believes that the possible lifting of sanctions would allow Tehran to accelerate its military rearmament and expand support for its allies, including Hezbollah.