The US has cut Israel out of talks with Iran, leaving it with no information about Washington's relations with Tehran and forced to gather information through leaders and diplomats in the region, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed Israeli officials.
„The Trump administration has cut Israel off to such an extent that its leaders are virtually cut off from the ceasefire talks between the US and Iran. Lacking information from their closest ally, the Israelis are forced to glean what they can about the discussions between Washington and Tehran through their contacts with leaders and diplomats in the region, as well as through their own observations in Iran,“ the report said.
According to unnamed, American officials, Trump views Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a military ally, but not as a close partner in negotiations with the Iranians. In this regard, the newspaper writes that Netanyahu, who was previously “Trump“s second-in-command“ in the fight against Iran, has now become a mere “passenger“.
“Israel has found itself in a position where it has been demoted from an equal partner to something closer to a subcontractor to the US military,“ the newspaper assessed, noting that this could have serious consequences for Israel and is “a humiliating blow“ for Netanyahu, who faces a tough re-election campaign this year.