Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected an offer by Oman in 2013 to create a secret backchannel between Israel and Iran, Channel 13 and Axios reports.
Israel at the time had learned that Washington was engaging with the Islamic Republic in a covert diplomatic effort that would ultimately lead to the 2015 nuclear deal.
According to the report, the Mossad intelligence agency favored exploring the option of direct talks with Iran, while then-national security adviser Yaakov Amidror opposed it fiercely.
Netanyahu ultimately sided with Amidror and rejected Oman’s overtures, the report says.
“The Israeli response to the Omanis was warranted — as long as the Iranian leadership seeks to destroy us, we have got nothing to talk about with them,” says Amidror.
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