LONDON, May 25. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged in private conversations that he cannot influence the decisions of US President Donald Trump, who is attempting to reach a preliminary agreement with Iran, Reuters reports, citing Israeli sources.
According to the news agency, Netanyahu has expressed concern over the memorandum of understanding currently being discussed between Washington and Tehran. Israel "has largely been left out" of these talks, the news agency pointed out. At the same time, Netanyahu himself acknowledges that he "has no manoeuvre to influence the [US] president right now," an unnamed Israeli official said.
According to Reuters, the terms of the preliminary agreement do not address Iran’s nuclear program or its stockpile of enriched uranium, both of which are of paramount importance to Tel Aviv. Moreover, Netanyahu insists that Israel must retain the ability to continue military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. According to the news agency, this could derail the deal if Tehran insists on a cessation of hostilities in that country.
The prime minister held three phone calls with Trump last week and commented on a possible deal only after the third conversation on Sunday, Reuters recalled. An agreement between the US and Iran could be reached at a "sensitive" moment for Netanyahu, as parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place in Israel this fall, which he may lose, Reuters noted. Opponents criticize him for what they see as his failure to achieve the goals of the war against Iran.
