As it weighs options, Israel's anxiety mounts over rushed Trump-Iran talks
Israel is unlikely to strike Iran after a nuclear deal is reached, but will it attack during the talks?
Israel is increasingly concerned that the Trump administration may rush into indirect negotiations with Iran, potentially leading to a nuclear deal it cannot accept.
For Israeli officials and analysts, the issue isn’t the prospect of diplomacy, but the idea that President Donald Trump is determined to secure an agreement at any cost. They fear Trump might sideline key Israeli concerns in his push for a breakthrough.
Tensions are mounting ahead of a critical summer. The International Atomic Energy Agency is due to release a likely critical report on Iran in June while a key deadline looms in October, when the UN snapback mechanism to reinstate sanctions on Iran can be triggered. If no deal is reached by then, France and the United Kingdom are expected to move to invoke it. Tehran has warned that in response, it would withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, sharply escalating the crisis.
Speaking in Paris on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that while Israel would not begin talks with Iran, he would "not be surprised" if such negotiations start with Washington. He declined to publicly outline Israel’s expectations for a potential deal.
