Israel is concerned that US President Donald Trump may reach a "bad deal" with Iran, and is trying to influence negotiations to address key issues, Israeli officials told CNN.
“The primary concern is that Trump will grow tired of talks and cut a deal – any deal – with last-minute concessions,” one source said.
While Trump and Israel are aligned in terms of preventing Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon, tertiary concerns such as its ballistic missile capabilities and its regional proxies are seemingly not at the forefront of the current US-Iranian negotiations. One source told CNN that these issues are "probably off the table," and not included at all in early diplomatic drafts.
Officials raised the concern that a partial deal, one that would lead Israel to view the war as incomplete, could give the Iranian regime a chance to stabilize through the lifting of economic pressure and sanctions.
“Our hand is on the pulse," one senior official told CNN. "We will be happy if there will be no deal, we will be happy if the siege on Hormuz continues, and we will be happy if Iran gets a few more strikes."
The US and Israel are still coordinating their actions against Iran, the sources said, including planning potential strikes on Iranian energy facilities, infrastructure, and leadership if the US-Iran talks fail.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not fully trust Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and, as such, has been relying on direct communication with Trump, sources reported.
Iran deal may include sunset clause on nuclear capabilities
One element of a deal discussed during negotiations is a "sunset clause," which would allow certain restrictions to expire after a specified period. Once this period ends, Iran would be free to pursue some nuclear capabilities again. Israel, sources said, is pushing to avert this possibility by adding two additional clauses: one that would fully prohibit uranium enrichment during the sunset period, and the other that would mandate the dismantling of the Fordow facility and Pickaxe Mountain site, where Iran is suspected to be attempting to advance its nuclear capabilities.
Olivia Wales, a White House spokesperson, told CNN that Trump "holds all the cards" in the Iran negotiations, and that Iran "knows full well their current reality is not sustainable."
"Their ballistic missiles are destroyed, their production facilities are dismantled, their navy is sunk, and their proxies are weakened," she stated. "Now, they are being strangled economically by Operation Economic Fury and losing $500 million per day thanks to the United States Military’s successful blockade of Iranian ports.”