US Updates Israel as Iran Deal Looms

A diplomatic source said the United States is updating Israel on negotiations over a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and move toward talks on a final agreement addressing key disputes.

During a call last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Israel will maintain full freedom of action against threats across all fronts, including Lebanon, a position President Donald Trump backed.

Trump also made clear he will hold firm on his demand to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and remove all enriched uranium from its territory, saying he will not sign a final deal without these conditions.

Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the idea of any agreement that would leave Iran in a stronger nuclear position, calling such a scenario “absurd” and saying it “will simply not happen.”