Israeli Officials Criticize Emerging U.S.-Iran Deal, Say It Weakens Military Pressure

Israeli officials said Wednesday night that the agreement expected to be signed between the United States and Iran is a bad deal because it "releases the pressure too early and cancels the military threat that was on the table until now," according to a report on Kan News. They also objected to clauses linking developments in Iran and Lebanon, saying those provisions run counter not only to Israel’s interests but also to what Lebanon wants.

The officials warned about President Donald Trump’s proposal to handle limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program through a regional framework, meaning Gulf states would discuss it. In Jerusalem, that is seen as insufficient because it would not meaningfully restrain missiles that threaten Israel.

Earlier Wednesday evening, Trump held a press conference about the emerging agreement. He said, "We reached an agreement that achieves everything we wanted to achieve," adding that it would open the Strait of Hormuz and prevent Iran from ever obtaining nuclear weapons. On ballistic missiles, Trump said Iran should have "some missiles," explaining, "Others have them too. Some say they should not have any missiles at all, it does not work that way."

Trump defended his decision to negotiate with Iran and stop military action against it. "No country asked us to keep bombing Iran. Only fools say that," he said. The report also noted the broader context of ending the fighting and lifting sanctions on Iran.