A senior Israeli official revealed that US President Donald Trump placed before Iran a “harsh and clear package of demands,” as part of ongoing contacts between Washington and Tehran, warning that its rejection could lead to a “fateful” decision in the region soon.
According to a report published by “Maariv” newspaper, by writer Avi Ashkenazi, the visit made by Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to Washington, accompanied by a number of senior officers, raised widespread questions in Israel about its true purpose, especially since it took place in a “secret” nature.
The report indicated that Zamir was accompanied on the visit by a number of officers, including the appointed Air Force Commander, Brigadier General Omer Tishler, and the head of the Planning Division, Major General Hadi Zilberman, who until months ago was a military attaché in Washington, and is today considered one of the officers closest to the American military and security establishment.
The report explained that, according to Israeli sources, Zamir held a dialogue with the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine, who was described as “the most powerful man next to Trump.” He pointed out that Israel sees the need to clarify the repercussions of launching a strike against Iran or refraining from it, in parallel with providing updated intelligence information to the Americans.
The report stated that not everything was clear to the Americans about the activity carried out by the Israeli army in recent days, pointing to the visit of the Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) to Israel, as well as the lightning visit made by the head of Israeli Military Intelligence (AMAN), Major General Shlomi Binder, to Washington early last week, where he presented information to Pentagon officials.
The report quoted an Israeli source as saying that Trump “came with a stick without a carrot,” and that his demands from Iran are “very clear,” and include:
Delivery of 400 kilograms of enriched uranium
Stop/dismantle the nuclear project
Dismantling ballistic missiles
Stop the missile program
Stop supporting the arms (proxies) in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon
The source added that Israel realizes that the Iranians will not be ready to discuss any of these items individually, “so what if they are all together,” considering that what is currently happening is nothing but “gaining time.”
The report considered that the scene is heading towards two options: either going to a military confrontation, or Trump backing down at the last minute, turning into what the Israeli source described as the “Ramadan cannon,” referring to major threats that may not turn into action.
The report offered several explanations for the delay in making the American decision, including: “the president’s hesitation,” or the need for the United States to mobilize additional forces, or a diplomatic maneuver to justify a military move. It is likely that all of these reasons are correct, or that some of them are.
The report also pointed out that Israel fears that the United States will back down at the last minute, or repeat what it did in Yemen, where it withdrew from a large campaign against the Houthis before it was resolved, which could lead to a regional situation that is “much more dangerous” than the current one.
If this happens, the report believes that the Iranian regime will feel that it has emerged stronger internally and externally, which will reflect greater support for Hezbollah and the Houthis, as well as Iran’s arms in Iraq, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza, turning Tehran into “a source of terrorism in the world,” according to the description of the Israeli source.
The report stressed that Iran “does not intend to change its face,” noting that Tehran is currently celebrating the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, and that its central goal is “exporting the revolution.”
He added that the Iranians see themselves as capable of “running over” the Arab Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the Emirates, all the way to Jordan and Egypt, considering that Tehran realizes that if it escapes American threats, it will become the most prominent power in the region, with the support of Russia and China, and with the help of North Korea and Venezuela.
The report concluded by noting that Israel sees at the current stage a “historic opportunity” to reshape the region’s balances, considering that the key to this opportunity is in the hands of the American President, which explains the importance of the visits of Israeli generals to Washington, in an attempt to influence the American decision before it is made.
