US President Donald Trump reassured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that a final agreement with Iran will fully dismantle Tehran’s nuclear program, a senior Israeli official said in a statement on Sunday, as details emerged of a deal being cobbled together with Iran that appeared to leave key Israeli demands unmet.

According to multiple reports, the initial deal will focus on extending an existing ceasefire for another 60-days and opening the choked Strait of Hormuz to vital shipping, with the key issue of Iran’s nuclear activities relegated to discussions during that period. In addition, the plan is said to include a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, but does not include disarming the Iran-backed group.

Trump “clarified that he will stand firm in the negotiations on his longstanding demand for the dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of all enriched uranium from Iranian territory, and that he will not sign a final agreement without these conditions being met,” the unnamed senior official said.

The call took place on Saturday night.

Washington was keeping Jerusalem updated on the negotiations “over a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and enter negotiations toward a final agreement on the points that remain in dispute,” the statement read, adding that Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “exceptional commitment to Israel’s security.”

On Saturday, The New York Times reported that the US has almost completely excluded Israel from the negotiations.

For his part, Netanyahu told Trump that Israel will preserve its freedom of action against “all threats in all arenas,” the official said.

“The prime minister emphasized that Israel will preserve its freedom of action against threats in all arenas, including Lebanon, and President Trump reiterated his support for this principle,” the official said.

The phone call came after last week, the two leaders were said to have held a tense conversation about how best to proceed with Iran. Netanyahu was said to have favored renewing........

© The Times of Israel