Trump Promises Netanyahu: No Iran Deal Without Uranium

The United States is continuing to update Israel on negotiations with Iran over a memorandum of understanding aimed at addressing Tehran’s nuclear program, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and launching talks toward a final agreement, a diplomatic source said Sunday.

According to the source, US President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Saturday night that he would stand firm on the demand that Iran dismantle its nuclear program and remove all enriched uranium from Iranian territory.

Netanyahu stressed during the call that Israel would preserve freedom of action against threats on all fronts, including Lebanon.

The statement came amid reports that Israel has been sidelined in the US-Iran negotiations. The New York Times reported Saturday, citing two unnamed Israeli defense officials, that Israel was “almost entirely out of the loop” in the talks and had been forced to seek information through indirect diplomatic channels and intelligence sources inside Iran.

Axios also reported earlier in the week that Trump and Netanyahu held a tense phone call over the emerging Iran framework. A US source quoted by Axios said Netanyahu’s “hair was on fire” during the discussion.

Trump reportedly called Netanyahu Tuesday to discuss a “letter of intent” being drafted by mediators to end the war and begin a month-long negotiation period.

The emerging memorandum is expected to focus on ending hostilities, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and setting the terms for further negotiations. But disagreements remain over whether the nuclear issue is part of the current framework or would be handled only in a later stage.

Iranian sources have said Tehran has not agreed to ship out its highly enriched uranium stockpile and that nuclear issues are not part of the preliminary deal. US officials have said the ultimate goal remains ensuring that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.