Prime Minister Netanyahu said in his first public response after speaking with President Trump that "Israel is not a party to the emerging memorandum of understanding" with Iran, according to the Prime Minister's Office. The call, confirmed by both leaders, comes as the US-Iran deal enters its final stage, with Trump committing to removal of enriched material.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump spoke tonight about the emerging memorandum of understanding with Iran, as confirmed by both sides. In his first public response after the call, Netanyahu stated through the Prime Minister's Office that "Israel is not a party to the emerging memorandum of understanding" — a formulation reportedly conveyed during the conversation itself. No Israeli official signed or negotiated the framework. Netanyahu also expressed appreciation for Trump's commitment to removing enriched uranium, which the US president has stated will be a central component of the final agreement.
The call — at least the second this week between the two leaders on the Iran file — reflects the rapid pace of the US-Iran talks, which Trump said Wednesday were in an "almost final stage" and could be signed as early as this weekend. The emerging framework, as described by Trump, would require removal of enriched material, dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, restrictions on missile development, and a halt to Iranian support for regional proxies.
As The Zioneer reported earlier tonight (23:07, 23:18 Jerusalem), Trump separately claimed that several other countries have also signed onto the memorandum, but did not specify which. The White House has not published the draft text, and Israeli officials familiar with the briefings remain skeptical about the level of enforcement mechanisms and verification, according to i24NEWS.
What remains open: the precise structure of the MOU — whether it is a political framework or a binding document — and the status of IAEA access to undeclared sites, which was a key point of failure in the 2015 JCPOA. Israel's security establishment continues to assess the emerging deal with caution, as no formal Israeli input has been incorporated into the text.
3 developments
- StrongTrump commits to Netanyahu: final Iran deal to dismantle enrichment, curb missiles and proxies
- DevelopingSenior Israeli official: Netanyahu told Trump he understands his Iran efforts but Israel must not be a victim
- DevelopingNetanyahu responds to reports of emerging US-Iran deal
- StrongTrump tells Netanyahu he is determined to sign Iran agreement as deal talks accelerate
Source and signal
- Internal intake