A senior Israeli official has acknowledged that if the US and Iran sign a new nuclear deal, it will become "much harder" for Israel to carry out military action against Iran's nuclear program. Nevertheless, he stressed that despite the political difficulty that such a deal would create, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not hesitate to act, even with President Donald Trump in the White House.
According to the official, the current relationship between the Trump administration and the Israeli government is "the best ever." Still, "the prime minister made it clear that Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons."
The official added that while Jerusalem is aware of the possibility that Trump might sign a bad deal with Iran, this is not a repeat of the Obama era, when the administration concealed both the very existence and the content of its talks from Israel.
"What's happening now is not what happened under Obama. Israel is making its position clear regarding the conditions required for a final deal," the official said.
Meanwhile, a non-governmental Israeli source who recently spoke with a a senior American official at the White House, citing that American official, said that Israel need not be concerned about the ongoing talks between Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian representatives.
According to the Israeli source, the White House says Trump still remembers and fully understands the severity of the threat posed by Iran, including an attempt on his life. "Trump is not confused. He is conducting the negotiations in his own way and knows exactly what he is doing," the American official was quoted as saying by his Israeli counterpart.
In the most significant part of his remarks, the American official assessed that despite the progress made on Saturday during the discussions between envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a breakdown in the talks is expected in a few weeks when the Americans present their full list of demands.
According to the Israeli source, citing the American official, the White House has not forgotten the Trump administration's original demands: dismantling Iran's nuclear infrastructure, halting its armament and ballistic missile development, and ending the terror activities of Iranian proxy organizations across the Middle East.
"Trump should be allowed to handle things the way he sees fit. He has a unique method, but he knows what he's doing," the Israeli source said. It is worth noting that this source is not a government official but maintains close ties with Trump's inner circle.
On Friday, the American administration said there had been "significant progress" in the talks held in Rome. As a result, it was decided that technical talks would be held on Wednesday, followed by another round of negotiations between the teams on Saturday.
