JERUSALEM, Israel – Despite the Iranian regime’s provocative moves, talks between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic seem to be on course for later this week.
The U.S. shot down an Iranian drone as it “aggressively approached” an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday.
CENTCOM Spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins announced, “An F-35C fighter jet from the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board.”
A short time later, Iranian forces badgered a U.S. commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, situated between Iran and Oman. More than 20 percent of global oil and about 20 percent of liquified natural gas passes through the critical waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Iran also reportedly wants to change the venue of the meeting from Turkey to Oman, and wants direct talks with the U.S.
President Trump wouldn’t say where meetings with Iran would take place, but he seemed to indicate that more than one meeting is scheduled.
They are negotiating, they’d like to do something, and we’ll see if something is going to be done, the president said. “They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn’t work out, and we did (Operation) Midnight Hammer.
He added, “I don’t think they want that happening again, but they would like to negotiate. We are negotiating with them right now, yes.”
The political advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made it clear what the regime’s red lines are.
Adm. Ali Shamkhani declared, “The negotiations are only, only, and only with America, and the subject is only, only, and only the nuclear issue. An agreement about the nuclear issue is possible.”
Iran insists it will not talk about the terror proxies it bankrolls, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.
Shamkhani promised that Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons and would not weaponize its enriched uranium stockpiles. He also threatened Israel if the U.S. attacks Iran.
“This is a false assumption to say Israel is not involved if the U.S. attacks. This is fundamentally false. If America strikes, it’s definitely with cooperation from Israel, and it (Israel) must receive a response proportionate to their involvement,” he said.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out Israel’s red lines when he met with President Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
Israeli media reported that Israel is asking the U.S. not to compromise on four key demands in an agreement with Iran:
- Transfers of highly enriched uranium to another country
- The ceasing of enrichment altogether
- Halting ballistic missile production
- Ending funding for terror proxies in the Middle East
According to a statement from his office, Netanyahu told Witkoff that Iran has proven over and over that its promises “cannot be relied upon.”
Israel is operating in Lebanon to prevent attempts by Hezbollah, one of Iran’s proxies, to “re-establish its capabilities.”
The IDF noted that in the past year, troops have eliminated around 60 Hezbollah terrorists and “dismantled dozens of terrorist structures, weapons, storage facilities, and observation posts.”
In his meeting with Witkoff, Netanyahu also repeated Israel’s demand that Hamas be disarmed, the Gaza Strip demillitarized, and the war objectives be fulfilled before the Gaza Strip is reconstructed.
He clarified that the Palestinian Authority cannot be part of the Gaza Strip administration, and pointed out the newly-discovered UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) bags used to conceal weapons.
