President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the United States and Iran are "getting very close" to a historic agreement, telling CBS News that a final decision could come as soon as Friday. According to AP, a draft deal brokered in secret by Pakistan could be signed within 48 hours, potentially extending the ceasefire by 60 days and establishing a framework for broader nuclear talks.
But behind the diplomatic momentum lies a deeply uncomfortable reality for Jerusalem. According to a New York Times report, the Trump administration kept Israel completely in the dark throughout the intensive negotiations that preceded the April 8 ceasefire. With no official information from Washington, Israeli intelligence agencies were forced to piece together what was happening through back-channel diplomatic contacts and deep penetration of Iranian regime institutions, effectively spying on their own closest ally's negotiations.
According to the Financial Times, mediators believe a ceasefire extension agreement is closer than ever. The framework would include a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, eased sanctions, and the phased unfreezing of Iranian overseas assets. Critically, the nuclear question — Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and its ballistic missile program, has reportedly been sidelined from the current round, with an Iranian official telling Al Jazeera the issue is "too complicated" and will only be addressed 30 days after any signing. For Israel, which views both as existential threats, this is the core of its alarm.
The US also appears to have dropped its earlier demand that dismantlement of Iran's ballistic missile program be included in the deal, a concession Jerusalem was not consulted on. Tehran is speaking from both sides of its mouth. A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Iran has reached full understanding on the Pakistani draft and is awaiting an American response. But Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told the Tasnim news agency that the two sides remain both "very far and very close," with deep and significant differences remaining. (Read More)
