ISRAEL PERSPECTIVE

Tel Aviv, May 30, 2026. As Washington and Tehran negotiate a 60-day memorandum to extend the ceasefire and discuss Iran's nuclear program, Israeli media hold their breath – but not without expressing deep distrust. Analysts' consensus can be summarized as follows: a poorly crafted deal would be worse than no deal at all.

According to Ynetnews, the main terms were agreed upon on Tuesday, but Trump did not immediately give his approval after being informed. "The president told mediators he wanted a few days to think about it," a US official cited by Axios said. The Situation Room meeting on Friday did not result in a final decision, the New York Times reported. Meanwhile, Tehran called US demands "baseless," saying through Fars News that the clause on destroying enriched uranium is "entirely unfounded."

This point crystallizes Israeli concerns. A Jerusalem Post editorial warns: a deal that leaves Iran with highly enriched uranium, intact nuclear facilities, and missiles, and lifts tens of billions of dollars in sanctions, would be unacceptable. "Neither the Abraham Accords nor Saudi smiles can compensate for a bad deal with the Islamic Republic," the paper says. The author urges Trump to decisively crush Iran rather than negotiate from a position he deems weakened.

Haaretz, in a more reserved analysis, points to another fragility: "Tehran's built unity complicates the US president's task, and his caution could serve Hezbollah." The title says it all: "Trump is caught between Iran and Lebanon. Israel could pay the price."

On the ground, the situation remains volatile. The Jerusalem Post reports explosions near the Strait of Hormuz and Bandar Abbas, with reciprocal fire as a warning sign. The Iranian CGRI said it targeted a US base after US strikes against Iranian drones – highlighting the fragility of the ceasefire in place since early April. In this context, the Wall Street Journal reveals that the United Arab Emirates conducted dozens of strikes against Iran in coordination with Washington and Israeli intelligence. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged that "Israel acted alone against the Asaluyeh gas complex," despite Trump's protests against energy infrastructure strikes.

Regional dynamics reveal a paradox: Israel, officially absent from diplomatic negotiations, played a decisive military and intelligence role in the conflict – but could be the big absentee from an agreement it would directly suffer from. For Tel Aviv, the issue is not Middle East geopolitics, but survival in the face of a potential nuclear power that openly shows hostility.