Israel Was Shut out of Secret US-Iran Negotiations Entirely
Final decision expected within 48 hours · Iran boasts it has rebuilt its military during ceasefire · Israel left to spy on its own ally
President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the United States and Iran are "getting very close" to a historic agreement, telling CBS News that a final decision could come as soon as Friday. According to AP, a draft deal brokered in secret by Pakistan could be signed within 48 hours, potentially extending the ceasefire by 60 days and establishing a framework for broader nuclear talks.
But behind the diplomatic momentum lies a deeply uncomfortable reality for Jerusalem. According to a New York Times report, the Trump administration kept Israel completely in the dark throughout the intensive negotiations that preceded the April 8 ceasefire. With no official information from Washington, Israeli intelligence agencies were forced to piece together what was happening through back-channel diplomatic contacts and deep penetration of Iranian regime institutions, effectively spying on their own closest ally's negotiations.
What the emerging deal looks like - and what it leaves out
According to the Financial Times, mediators believe a ceasefire extension agreement is closer than ever. The framework would include a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, eased sanctions, and the phased unfreezing of Iranian overseas assets.
Critically, the nuclear question — Iran's enriched uranium stockpile and its ballistic missile program, has reportedly been sidelined from the current round, with an Iranian official telling Al Jazeera the issue is "too complicated" and will only be addressed 30 days after any signing. For Israel, which views both as existential threats, this is the core of its alarm.
The US also appears to have dropped its earlier demand that dismantlement of Iran's ballistic missile program be included in the deal, a concession Jerusalem was not consulted on.
Iran sends contradictory signals
Tehran is speaking from both sides of its mouth. A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Iran has reached full understanding on the Pakistani draft and is awaiting an American response. But Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told the Tasnim news agency that the two sides remain both "very far and very close," with deep and significant differences remaining.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah moved swiftly to reassure its operatives, announcing it had received a direct message from Iran's foreign minister that Tehran will not abandon its support for the Shia organisation under any deal.
"Our military is fully rebuilt"
Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf made a striking disclosure in a meeting with Pakistan's army chief: Iran has fully rebuilt its military capabilities during the ceasefire period.
Qalibaf also issued a direct threat to the White House: if Trump chooses to resume fighting, the blow Iran delivers "will be far harder and more bitter than at the start of the war."
Trump, for his part, is conducting a diplomatic sprint. Arab sources told Reuters he is holding a marathon of calls Saturday with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan to close out the remaining gaps. He also posted a map of the Middle East on Truth Social with Iran colored in the colours of the American flag, a gesture that prompted more questions than answers about what exactly he is offering.