Ynet News
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told confidants that Israel has little ability to influence U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision-making on Iran as Washington negotiates a deal to end the nearly three-month-old war, two Israeli officials with knowledge of the conversations told Reuters.
The comments come as Israel has largely been left out of talks on an initial agreement to halt a conflict that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The emerging memorandum of understanding would see Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the United States lifting its naval blockade, a senior Trump administration official said. Further negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program would follow.
Iranian top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi were in Doha on Monday for talks with Qatar’s prime minister, an official briefed on the visit said. The discussions focused mainly on Hormuz and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran’s central bank governor was also part of the delegation to discuss the possible release of frozen Iranian funds.
Both the United States and Iran have played down hopes of an imminent breakthrough. The sides remain divided over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Tehran’s demand for sanctions relief, and Israel’s war in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
One Israeli official involved in Netanyahu’s private conversations said the prime minister had expressed displeasure over the memorandum now being negotiated. Despite the agreement not immediately addressing Israel’s concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and enriched uranium stockpile, Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel ‘has no maneuver to influence the President right now,’ the official said.
Netanyahu’s office has so far refused to respond to a request for comment.
Trump and Netanyahu have spoken by phone at least three times in the past week. After the first call, Trump was asked by reporters what he had told Netanyahu.
‘He’s a good man, he’ll do whatever I want him to do,’ Trump said.
After their third call, Netanyahu said he and Trump discussed the ‘memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the upcoming negotiations toward a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.’
Netanyahu said the two agreed that any final deal must include dismantling Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites and removing its enriched nuclear material from the country. He also said Trump ‘reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon.’
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in New Delhi that Washington would give diplomacy every chance to succeed before exploring ‘alternatives.’
There was a ‘pretty solid thing on the table’ regarding reopening the Strait of Hormuz and entering ‘a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter,’ Rubio said.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday that any agreement would either be ‘great and meaningful, or there will be no deal at all.’
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said understandings had been reached on many issues, but that did not mean ‘we’re close to signing an agreement.’
Baghaei said the potential memorandum contains 14 points and focuses on ending the war and the U.S. naval blockade of Hormuz, in exchange for Iran taking steps to ensure safe passage through the strategic waterway. The nuclear issue, he said, would be negotiated over 60 days if the framework deal is approved.
Hormuz has been effectively closed since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, with only a trickle of vessels passing through compared with about 125 to 140 daily before the conflict. The closure has driven up energy prices, though oil fell more than 4% Monday on optimism over possible progress toward a deal.
The sides remain at odds over several major issues, including sanctions relief, frozen Iranian oil revenues and the future of Iran’s highly enriched uranium. Iranian sources previously told Reuters that possible formulas could include diluting the material under the supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog.
Netanyahu is also demanding the right to continue operations against perceived threats on all fronts, including Lebanon, a caveat that could derail a deal if Iran insists on a complete halt to Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon.
Israel and Hezbollah have continued fighting despite an April 16 ceasefire. Israeli troops remain deployed across parts of southern Lebanon, and the military has continued airstrikes targeting Hezbollah, while the Iranian-backed group has fired drones toward Israeli troops and northern Israeli towns.
The emerging deal comes at a sensitive time for Netanyahu ahead of a national election he is projected to lose. His opponents have criticized him for failing to achieve his stated war objectives, which included eliminating Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and crippling its regional power.
Israeli and U.S. war objectives have since diverged, with Washington focused on reopening Hormuz, which before the war, carried about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
In a CBS interview this month, Netanyahu said more needed to be done to ensure enriched uranium leaves Iran, Tehran ends support for regional proxies and stops producing ballistic missiles.
‘There’s work yet to be done,’ Netanyahu said.