Ezkeli Says Emerging U.S.-Iran Deal Is a Strategic Disaster for Israel

Zvi Yehezkeli, senior Arab affairs commentator and host of i24NEWS’s "HaErevistim," sharply attacked the developing U.S.-Iran agreement on Monday morning, warning that it could leave Israel in a worse position than before the war. He called it “a real alarm” and said, “Something is happening that has a very big impact on Israel, even more dangerous than before the previous war.”

Yehezkeli argued that the real meaning of any Middle East deal must also be judged by how enemies present it. He said Iran’s leadership is already selling it domestically as a crushing victory over Israel, quoting messaging that the “Supreme Leader” has guided Iran to supremacy over the “Zionist enemy” with the backing of the people and Islamic fighters. He added, “This is being marketed right now as a victory. Trump is tweeting like their spokesman: the deal, the deal, how wonderful, free movement in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Citing reports from the Pakistani side of the mediation, Yehezkeli said the draft appears to give Iran major gains, including sanctions relief, release of frozen Iranian funds, a ceasefire on all fronts, a demand for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and an investment and reconstruction fund worth hundreds of billions of dollars. He also said the Iranian version leaves enriched uranium and nuclear facilities inside Iran and gives Tehran a central role in managing traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. “One word for this: justice,” he said. “From their point of view, you came to fight us, so you will pay, compensate, and apologize.”

He noted that the deal is still only an initial framework and that key issues, including uranium stocks, the nuclear program, the amount of money to be transferred, and the terms for lifting sanctions, have not been finalized. Those details are expected to be discussed in another round of talks. Yehezkeli directed most of his criticism at President Donald Trump, saying, “Trump rushed for a deal, abandoned us, threw Israel, his partner in the war, aside, and caused us enormous damage.” He added that the substance of the arrangement resembles the 2015 nuclear deal, urged Israeli leaders to resist any limits on Israel’s freedom of action, especially any Lebanese withdrawal demand, and warned that if Trump ties Israel’s hands, “we are in trouble.”