'Israel not a party to deal' Netanyahu hails Trump assurances on Iran nuclear curbs, missile restrictions
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Israel not a party to deal' Netanyahu hails Trump assurances on Iran nuclear curbs, missile restrictions")
Photograph: (AFP)
Despite publicly backing the proposed agreement, reports suggest Netanyahu was not informed in advance of Trump's decision to halt further strikes on Iran and announce that a deal could be signed soon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed assurances from US President Donald Trump that any agreement with Iran would include strict limits on Tehran's nuclear and missile programmes.
In a statement issued after the two leaders spoke, Netanyahu's office said Trump had reaffirmed that any final agreement would require Iran to remove its enriched nuclear material and dismantle its enrichment infrastructure.
"Although Israel is not party to the memorandum of understanding, the prime minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump's commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran's support for its terrorist proxies in the region," Netanyahu's office said on X.
The statement came after Trump announced on Truth Social that he had halted planned strikes on Iran, saying discussions with Tehran had reached the highest level of Iranian leadership and received approval.
Speaking later at the White House, Trump described the proposed agreement as a "great settlement" and suggested it could be finalised soon.
According to the US president, Iran would agree not to possess or purchase a nuclear weapon under the deal. He also said a strike on Kharg Island, which he had previously threatened, was now "off the table".
However, Trump declined to provide a timeline for completing the agreement.
"I don't want to say a deadline, because if I say a deadline, you'll say, 'Oh, he didn't meet the deadline,'" he said.
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Reports highlight strain in US-Israel ties
Despite the public display of support, a report by Axios said Netanyahu was not informed in advance that Trump would halt further strikes on Iran and announce that a deal could be signed soon.
In recent weeks, relations between Netanyahu and President Donald Trump have come under strain, including reports of an expletive-laden phone call in which the US president reportedly lashed out at the Israeli leader after Iran threatened to abandon peace negotiations if the IDF proceeded with further strikes.
US Vice President JD Vance also suggested that Netanyahu had made mistakes in the past, while acknowledging that the Israeli leader was acting in what he believed were Israel's interests.
Speaking to CBS News, Vance said Netanyahu had "certainly gotten some things wrong".
He added that the Israeli prime minister "aggressively asserts the interests of his country" but noted that those interests do not always align with those of the United States.
