Israeli media sources reported that the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office circulated warning messages to ministers and senior officials before the cabinet meeting scheduled for today and before Benjamin Netanyahu headed to Washington, stressing that “Iran’s promises cannot be trusted.”
The sources explained that these messages stressed that any talks with Iran must not only be limited to preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons, but must also include imposing restrictions on its ballistic missile program and stopping its support for what it described as the “regional terrorism axis.”
The letter stated: “So far, the regime in Iran has proven time after time that its promises cannot be trusted,” warning that “any attempt to harm Israel’s sovereignty or its citizens will lead to very serious consequences, and will be confronted forcefully and firmly.”
In a related context, Israeli media reports indicated harsh criticism of the American approach, considering that “the Americans are very naive,” especially with regard to presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, accusing them of “misleading” US President Donald Trump on the issue of negotiations with Iran.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced on Saturday evening that Netanyahu will meet with Trump in Washington next Wednesday, in a visit whose date has been advanced to discuss the course of negotiations with Iran.
Before that, an American delegation including Witkoff and Kushner held a series of indirect talks with representatives of Iran in the Sultanate of Oman on Friday. Netanyahu also held a lengthy, closed security meeting with Witkopf in Jerusalem that lasted three and a half hours to set Israeli “red lines” before any potential agreement.
Following the Muscat talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that his country is prepared to discuss its nuclear program only, stressing that its missile program is outside of any discussion, which has increased Israeli concerns about the acceleration of the pace of possible international understandings with Iran, which Tel Aviv fears will be “incomplete” and will not meet its existential security requirements.
