President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday that he had asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to take actions that could disrupt the nuclear talks with Iran. The acknowledgment followed a report by The New York Times citing US concerns that Israel might carry out a surprise attack on Iran, an allegation Netanyahu's office dismissed as "fake news."
When asked whether he had warned Netanyahu during a phone call last week against steps that could harm the negotiations, Trump responded, "I want to be honest, I did." He added that "it wasn't a warning. I told him I didn't think it was appropriate right now."
Trump elaborated, saying, "We're having very good talks with Iran, and I said I didn't think this was the right moment, because if we succeed in reaching a deal with supervision. not trust, because I don't trust anyone, we'll be able to send in inspectors, take what we want, blow up what we want, and no one will be killed. We can blow up a lab. but there won't be people in the lab, unlike when you blow it up with everyone inside. Those are two different ways of doing it."
"So yes, I told Netanyahu that it would be inappropriate to act now, because we are very close to a solution," Trump explained. "Of course, that can change at any moment, a single phone call can change everything, but for now, it seems they want to reach an agreement. And if we can do that, it will save a lot of lives."
"We are making good progress with Iran. I think we will see something reasonable," Trump added. "There are only two possible outcomes, a smart one and a violent one. I don't think anyone wants to see the second. We've made a lot of progress, but it remains to be seen whether the Iranians will agree to the final steps of the document. I think people will be surprised by what's happening there."
The remarks came amid reports of a possible interim agreement between Iran and the US that would grant Tehran limited sanctions relief in return for concessions on its nuclear program. Reuters reported Wednesday, citing two Iranian officials, that Iran might suspend uranium enrichment if the US agrees to release frozen Iranian assets and recognize Tehran's right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes as part of a "political agreement" that could pave the way for a broader nuclear deal.
Israel Hayom reported earlier this week, citing an American official, that the talks have included the possibility of a preliminary deal under which Iran would demonstrate a willingness to abandon nuclear weapons entirely. In return, the US administration is considering delaying some sanctions against Tehran. Uranium enrichment on Iranian soil has emerged as the central issue in the negotiations, and the one most likely to lead to their collapse.
The New York Times reported, citing US officials briefed on the matter, that Washington is concerned Israel may strike Iran without advance warning. American intelligence estimates that such an operation could be launched within just seven hours of Netanyahu issuing an order.
Axios reported that during a recent phone call between Trump and Netanyahu, the president urged the prime minister to avoid actions that could endanger the US-Iran nuclear talks. According to the report, Trump told Netanyahu not to stir up conflicts "at a time when we're trying to solve problems."
