As Washington and Tehran move closer to a deal that would end the fighting between the countries, conflicting reports paint a picture of a deal that Israeli officials say is "cause for concern" and could lead to another war with Iran in the long term.
According to a diplomatic source in the region who spoke with Israel Hayom, Trump informed the leaders of the Gulf states and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran had agreed in principle to hand over the enriched uranium in its possession, and that this would happen at the final stage of the negotiations. In addition, Iran agreed to a ban on enrichment for an extended period and to international oversight. Trump promised that US forces would remain in the region "for as long as necessary."
An Israeli source familiar with the matter told Israel Hayom that there were serious concerns about the deal on the table, which is essentially a basic framework for negotiations but in practice ends the war and eliminates the possibility of resuming strikes. The Gulf states that were harmed were a key source of pressure on the US to pursue a diplomatic path. The United Arab Emirates also joined this effort and changed its position, but with its own emphases and a demand that the full agreement completely remove the military threat to the Gulf states and the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the source, the test of the final outcome will be the entire nuclear project: the removal of all enriched uranium, strict oversight and a ban on enrichment. Beyond that, he said, there is concern that the unfreezing of funds and the lifting of sanctions will help the regime recover and push further away the possibility of bringing it down. Regarding the related issues, the missile project and the terrorist organizations supported by Iran, the source said they had not been taken off the table entirely, but it appears Israel will have to make do with the kinetic achievements and the severe blow suffered by the Iranians and Hezbollah.
"The significance of reaching an agreement under these terms is the start of the countdown to the next war. It may take a few years, but it will come. This goal of completely removing the Iranian threat has not been achieved, even if the severe blow against it weakened it. And that is bad news," the source told Israel Hayom.
Conflicting reports
Iran's Tasnim News Agency published initial details of the emerging agreement, some of which are disputed. According to the agency, Iran will retain control of the Strait of Hormuz but will allow passage for all vessels from all countries. It was also claimed, contrary to reports from the US, that Iran would not hand over the enriched uranium in its possession to any outside party.
According to Axios, during the 60-day period, the Strait of Hormuz will be open without the collection of fees, and Iran will agree to remove the mines it laid in the strait to allow ships to pass freely.
In return, the US will lift the blockade on Iran's ports and issue several sanctions waivers to allow Iran to sell oil freely.
A US official acknowledged that this would be an advantage for Iran's economy, but said it would also provide significant relief to the global oil market. The official said that the faster the Iranians cleared the mines and allowed shipping routes to resume operations, the faster the blockade would be lifted.
It was further claimed that Trump's central principle in the agreement is "relief in exchange for implementation." Iran wanted funds to be unfrozen immediately and permanent sanctions relief, but the American side said that would happen only after tangible concessions, according to the official.
