President Trump has confirmed that he has urged Israel not to launch any strikes against Iran as negotiations over a nuclear deal appear to be progressing.
Last week, CNN reported that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was weighing up an air strike against nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic in order to place pressure on its government to agree a full denuclearisation.
The approach to a prospective deal is understood to be a point of friction between Washington and Jerusalem, with the former seemingly more willing to compromise rather than demanding a complete halt to the nuclear programme.
Trump was unsettled by the prospect of military action and held a fraught call with Netanyahu, during which he urged the Israeli leader to reconsider, according to Axios.
Now, Trump himself has confirmed some of the details of the discussion, including that he issued such a request.
Asked whether he had told Netanyahu to hold off on strikes, he said: “I would like to be honest, yes I did.”
He reportedly told the prime minister that the timing of any imminent strike would be “inappropriate” as the two sides are nearing an agreement, which Trump added could come within “a couple weeks”.
And details of the prospective deal have started to emerge, with Reuters citing Iranian officials claiming that Tehran would be willing to suspend its enrichment of uranium, which has long since breached acceptable levels under the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal.
This would be exchanged for the release of Iranian assets in the US, which have been frozen for several years, and a formal recognition from Washington that Iran is permitted to enrich nuclear material for civilian purposes.
The measures would reportedly see the regime pause enrichment for a full year and dilute its existing stock by either exporting it (likely to the US) or converting it into fuel plates for energy generation.
The issue has been a point of contention in the talks so far, with the White House concerned that lax restrictions on enrichment could allow the development of nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently rejected claims it is trying to build nuclear arms and claimed that enrichment will be used to power a clean energy project – but refuses international monitors access to inspect its facilities.
The proposed conditions would also involve the release of sanctioned funds, primarily profits on oil sales, including $6 billion currently held in Qatar.
An Iranian source told Reuters: “Tehran wants its funds to be transferred to Iran with no conditions or limitations. If that means lifting some sanctions, then it should be done too.
“The idea is not to reach an interim deal, it would [rather] be a political agreement to show both sides are seeking to defuse tensions.”
Five rounds of discussion have already taken place, but a sixth has not yet been scheduled.
And significant differences apparently remain, with Tehran reportedly adamant that it will not give up enrichment altogether or dismantle its nuclear programme.
