Yoni Ben-Menachem, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs, said Tuesday that Iran is fundamentally 'deceptive and dishonest' and will attempt to mislead President Trump regarding the emerging nuclear understanding. He pointed to what he sees as a potential source of optimism for Israel, arguing the diplomatic situation remains 'completely reversible' and that Jerusalem can still shift Washington's course.
Yoni Ben-Menachem, a prominent Middle East analyst affiliated with the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, released a statement Tuesday afternoon reiterating his assessment that Iran will attempt to deceive the Trump administration in the ongoing nuclear negotiations.
"The Iranians are deceptive and dishonest," Ben-Menachem said, pushing back against what he described as false claims circulating in the Arab world regarding a US-Iran memorandum of understanding. He identified a silver lining for Israel, arguing that while there is disappointment in Jerusalem over the emerging deal, the situation is "completely reversible" and that Israeli diplomacy can still persuade President Trump to change course.
These remarks build on a thread of analysis Ben-Menachem has published over recent days. As The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday, he had already warned that Iran would try to trick Trump. On Monday he assessed that Tehran is playing for time, betting on electoral defeats for both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump as a path to an unimpeded nuclear weapon. Over the past week, Ben-Menachem has consistently argued that the emerging US-Iran framework risks becoming a strategic trap for Israel, and that Iran is linking the nuclear track to other regional files such as Lebanon and Hezbollah.
No new details about the deal's specific terms or a timeline were provided in this statement.
2 developments
- DevelopingAnalyst Ben Menachem: Iran playing for time, betting on defeats for Netanyahu and Trump
- StrongIranian parliament spokesman says Trump is likely to deceive
- DevelopingArab world reactions to current fighting: analyst says Tehran sees US weakness
- StrongAnalyst: Iran links Lebanon-Hezbollah file to broader US nuclear talks
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