Growing Israeli Concern as Washington and Tehran Agreement Approaches

SadaNews - The political and security landscape in Israel is witnessing an increasing state of anxiety as the signing of an agreement between Washington and Tehran approaches, according to Israeli Broadcasting Authority reports.

The authority reported that the smaller security cabinet will meet on Sunday evening to discuss the implications of this agreement, which Washington is preparing to sign today amidst uncertainty surrounding the Iranian position.

Israeli Channel 12 quoted senior officials expressing their fears that the agreement does not directly address the objectives set by Israel during the war, nor does it require Iran to stop supporting its proxies in the region, instead allowing it to re-engage with Hezbollah.

These officials asserted that the agreement threatens Israel's core security interests, pointing out that the American side accepted the main conditions proposed by Tehran. They also warned that the agreement would immediately open the Strait of Hormuz and revive the Iranian regime, considering this a "slap in the face of the Iranian people." They clarified that the issue of Iran's nuclear capabilities will only be discussed at a later stage.

Meanwhile, Haaretz highlighted the concerns of Israeli officials regarding the specific timeline set in the emerging framework for the agreement, as they believe that the sixty-day period allocated for negotiations may serve Iran's interests by providing it with an opportunity to engage in diplomatic maneuvers during the transition phase.

Some questioned whether Washington would be able to leverage the agreement to compel Tehran to reduce or eliminate its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

An Israeli official indicated that Israel's influence on the decision-making process has been limited, and it remains unclear whether the agreement will address the main issues that Israel considers wartime objectives, chief among them curbing Iran's ballistic missile program and severing relations between Tehran and Hezbollah.

In the same context, Yedioth Ahronoth carried warnings from a senior Israeli official who stated that Israel might have to make concessions it does not desire in Lebanon, affirming that the agreement between Iran and the United States is "bad for Israel" and "very concerning," amidst a growing sentiment that Tel Aviv is no longer able to influence the course of the negotiations.