Reports say US President Donald Trump recently held a ‘tense’ phone call with Netanyahu over disagreements regarding the nuclear talks
News Desk - The Cradle
Officials briefed on the matter told the NYT that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “threatening to upend the talks by striking Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities.”
“One concern for American officials is that Israel could decide to strike Iran with little warning. US intelligence has estimated that Israel could prepare to mount an attack on Iran in as little as seven hours,” the report added.
The report comes one day after Israeli media said that US President Donald Trump held a “tense conversation” with Netanyahu on the phone. Trump reportedly insisted on his ability to achieve a diplomatic solution with Iran, and vowed that a deal would prioritize the interests of both Washington and Tel Aviv.
The NYT said on Wednesday regarding the nuclear talks that “at best there would be a declaration of some common principles.”
Following a fifth round of talks between the US and Iran last week, both sides reported a positive atmosphere. Earlier this week, Trump said there could possibly be “something good” to announce in the “next two days.”
However, US officials have publicly insisted that no deal can go through without Iran committing to the complete dismantlement of its uranium enrichment capabilities, which Tehran categorically rejects.
Trump has repeatedly stated that he wishes to avoid a military solution, but has also threatened several times that a failure in the talks would lead to US strikes on Iran – coordinated with Israel.
Israel has long been pushing for an attack on Iran, and has said that it would only accept a deal that fully dismantles Tehran’s nuclear program.
Netanyahu’s office responded to the new report by the NYT, calling it “fake news.”
One week earlier, Axios reported that Israel is betting on the collapse of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, and is planning to attack Iran in the event that the negotiations fail.
“Bibi is waiting for the nuclear talks to collapse and for the moment Trump will be disappointed about the negotiations and open to giving him the go-ahead,” sources told the outlet, saying that Tel Aviv is “making preparations to swiftly strike” Iranian nuclear facilities.
“The Israeli military thinks its operational window to conduct a successful strike could close soon, so Israel will have to move fast if talks fail,” they added. According to a US official cited by the outlet, Trump is concerned that Israel may even move ahead with an attack without a green light from Washington.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Muscat on Tuesday for a two-day visit, including bilateral talks with Omani officials.
“Regional developments, including the US–Iran negotiations, will be part of the consultations,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said.
According to reports, Oman has drafted a proposal to break the deadlock in US–Iran talks, and is hoping to convince Iran to accept a “temporary” halt to enrichment in exchange for gradual relief from sanctions.
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