AiBotTEL AVIV, Israel – A senior Israeli official has revealed that a critical condition imposed by former US President Donald Trump on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a major impact on nixing the proposed agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran. According to the official, Trump had privately pledged to Netanyahu that he would not compromise on Iranian uranium, which is now widely considered a crucial factor in the ongoing stalemate regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.
The details were shared by the senior official, who spoke to Channel 12 News on condition of anonymity, in an exclusive interview. Channel 12 News is part of the Israeli public television network which is available across Israel.
“The US administration at the time made it explicitly clear to us that they would block any deal that allowed Iran to accumulate enriched uranium,” the official confirmed. “This is something we’ve discussed extensively with our American counterparts.”
The remarks come as tensions between Washington and Tehran escalate, with the US administration of President Joe Biden reportedly seeking to revive a landmark nuclear deal abandoned in 2018. That nuclear accord, informally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), provided limited relief to Iran by allowing some relief to its economic sanctions for freezing the country’s nuclear program in compliance with international standards. In return for this deal, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear development activities under strict international inspection and monitoring.
However some US lawmakers and other critics have since voiced concerns regarding the deal and the perceived lack of Iranian commitment to its terms, including the requirement for strict monitoring of the country’s nuclear facilities.
While Iranian officials have denied that it had any plans to pursue a nuclear weapon, they have insisted on full compliance with the nuclear deal only if the US returns to the agreement while lifting all economic sanctions imposed on the country. The US and its allies have also raised the concerns of Iran’s ballistic missile program and the country’s ongoing involvement in regional conflicts.