A senior Israeli official criticized the emerging agreement with Iran, calling it “a bad deal" and arguing that it signals weakness by effectively rewarding Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the official, quoted by Israeli journalist Amit Segal, the agreement sends a message to the Iranians that they possess “a weapon no less effective than a nuclear bomb" - namely, control over the Strait of Hormuz.
The official said that Donald Trump views the agreement primarily as an economic arrangement involving the mutual opening of the Strait of Hormuz, with any progress dependent on removing the nuclear issue from the equation.
However, the official warned that “in practice, it is unclear what will happen after phase one."
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported overnight that, as part of the developing agreement between the United States and Iran, Tehran has agreed to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
According to the report, negotiators have not yet decided exactly how Iran would relinquish the stockpile, and discussions on the details have been postponed to the next round of talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
The report added that Iran initially refused to include any agreement concerning the uranium stockpile in the first stage of the deal. However, American officials reportedly conveyed through mediators that without an agreement on the uranium issue - even in the early phase of the arrangement - the military campaign would resume.
Estimates indicate that Iran currently possesses more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, a level that could potentially enable a rapid breakout toward a nuclear weapon if enrichment capabilities remain operational.
Last night, President Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that “the final aspects and details of the deal are being discussed and will be released soon. The Strait of Hormuz will open, along with many other elements of the agreement. It is mostly agreed upon."
Trump did not provide a specific timetable, though earlier he said he might make a decision on the matter as soon as today.