US-Iran ceasefire: Was Israel kept out of talks till the end?

US-Iran ceasefire: Was Israel kept out of talks till the end?

Israel is reportedly dissatisfied with the way the United States is handling the ceasefire agreement with Iran, with a WSJ report indicating that it was informed and brought into the loop only in the final stages of the ceasefire, even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly supported the move, while drawing clear limits on its scope.According to The Wall Street Journal, citing mediators and a source familiar with the matter, Israeli officials were unhappy with the late notice, lack of consultation and some provisions of the agreement. The report said the extent of coordination was limited to a public call made by US President Donald Trump to Netanyahu shortly before the ceasefire was announced.The United States and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire early Wednesday, along with plans for talks aimed at ending the conflict. As part of the arrangement, Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a move that could help stabilize global energy supplies.Despite reported concerns, Netanyahu publicly supported the US decision. “Israel supports President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, provided Iran immediately opens the strait and ceases all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region,” he wrote in a post on X.About four hours after Trump’s announcement, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement welcoming the ceasefire, while emphasizing that it does not extend to Lebanon, despite Pakistani mediators’ claims to the contrary. “The United States has told Israel it is committed to achieving these goals… the two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon,” he said.Israel objected to the reported inclusion of Lebanon in the ceasefire framework, seeing it as a separate operational front, The Wall Street Journal reported.In a televised address, Netanyahu underlined that the ceasefire was temporary and did not signal the end of the conflict. “Let me be clear: we still have goals to achieve and we will achieve them – either through agreement or through renewed conflict,” he said. “We are ready to return to combat at any time. Our finger is on the trigger. This is not the end of the campaign, but a step towards achieving all our objectives.He added, “Iran enters this pause weaker than ever.”Responding to criticism from opposition leaders, including Yair Lapid, who called the ceasefire a “diplomatic disaster”, Netanyahu said the ceasefire “happened in full coordination with Israel”, adding, “No, we were not surprised at the last moment”, The Times of Israel said.Netanyahu further said that Israel had attacked Iran’s missile production facilities and nuclear infrastructure and disrupted networks linked to the Revolutionary Guards.He reiterated that military operations against Hezbollah will continue, adding, “We will continue to attack it with force,” as the military pursues its objective of disarming the group.Despite the ceasefire, tension remains at the ground level. The ceasefire showed signs of tension on Thursday as Hezbollah said it fired rockets toward Israel. According to AFP, the Iran-backed group targeted the Israeli kibbutz of Manara near the Lebanon border “in response to violations of the ceasefire agreement by the enemy”.The attack followed a wave of Israeli attacks on Lebanon the day before. Israel carried out its heaviest bombardment of the country since Hezbollah joined the conflict in early March, hitting several locations including central Beirut. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, at least 182 people were killed and nearly 900 injured in the attacks.

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