U.S. Media: Discrepancies Emerge Between U.S. and Israeli Leaders on Next Steps Regarding Iran

On May 20, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Huang Qiang and Xu Jianmei) that mediators from Qatar, Pakistan, and other parties are still working to facilitate an agreement between the United States and Iran, while U.S. and Israeli leaders have shown differences in their direction regarding the next steps with Iran.

The report cites informed sources saying that the mediators have revised a draft peace memorandum in an attempt to bridge the U.S.-Iran divide. Earlier this week, Qatar sent a delegation to Tehran, the capital of Iran, to discuss the latest draft with the Iranian side. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated on the 20th that the relevant negotiations are continuing "based on Iran's 14-point proposal," and the Pakistani Interior Minister is currently in Tehran assisting with the mediation efforts. An Arab official said that the goal of the mediation is to encourage the Iranian side to make more concrete commitments regarding its nuclear program and to prompt the U.S. side to provide more details on how to unfreeze Iran's frozen assets.

U.S. President Trump stated to the media on the 20th that he and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu are in agreement on their stance towards Iran, saying, "Netanyahu will handle the Iran issue as I told him." However, according to informed sources, Trump and Netanyahu had a long and "difficult" phone call on the evening of the 19th. Trump informed Netanyahu that the mediators are drafting a "letter of intent," and once the U.S. and Iran sign this document, it would mean the formal end of the war, followed by a 30-day negotiation period involving issues related to Iran's nuclear program and navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

An American source who listened to the call briefing said that after the call, Netanyahu appeared "frustrated." Two Israeli sources indicated that there are differences between U.S. and Israeli leaders regarding the direction of the next steps.

The report stated that Netanyahu is highly skeptical of the negotiations; he hopes to restart military actions to destroy key Iranian infrastructure, further weaken Iran's military capabilities, and undermine its regime. Trump, on the other hand, believes that an agreement can be reached between the U.S. and Iran, but the U.S. is also prepared to resume military actions. An Israeli source revealed that Netanyahu intends to visit the U.S. to meet with Trump in the coming weeks.

Previously, on the 18th, Trump posted on social media that at the request of several Gulf state leaders, he had ordered the postponement of a military attack on Iran that was scheduled for the 19th. He also stated on the 20th that if the U.S. and Iran can reach an agreement, he is willing to wait a few more days for news from the Iranian side.