The US excluded Israel from negotiations regarding Iran — NYT
According to the publication, this situation could deal a political blow to Netanyahu ahead of the elections.
The US administration has effectively sidelined Israel from the ongoing negotiations with Iran. This was reported by The New York Times, citing officials in Tel Aviv, as writes RIA Novosti.
According to the NYT, Israeli officials are not receiving sufficient information about the negotiations between Washington and Tehran. As a result, they are forced to gather details about the talks through diplomats in the region, political contacts, and observations within Iran.
American officials say that although US President Donald Trump views Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a military ally, he does not consider him a close political partner in the negotiations with Iran. The NYT writes that Israel's role has been downgraded from that of an "equal partner" to a secondary participant.
The newspaper notes that this situation could be a politically severe blow for Netanyahu, as he is preparing for a challenging re-election campaign this year.
At the same time, the US State Department has announced that negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will take place in early June. Despite the ceasefire regime being maintained, the Israeli army continues to strike Lebanese territory. In response, the Hezbollah movement is attacking Israeli military personnel in the border area.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump has chosen to postpone new military strikes against Iran for now and continue diplomatic negotiations. The Fars agency reported that Washington has set five conditions for Tehran to end the conflict. It is noted that these demands contradict the position of the Iranian side.
