US giving space for Iran talks until Trump’s return from China next weekend — report

If no deal is reached with Iran before US President Donald Trump’s return from China next weekend, the military option is back on the table, a senior US official tells Channel 12 news.

The White House is expecting to receive tomorrow Iran’s answer to the latest US proposal, according to the outlet.

Trump’s top envoy Steve Witkoff will not join the president on his China trip in order to continue working on a deal with Iran.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak to Trump this evening after a meeting at IDF headquarters with top aides, Channel 12 reports.

Israel believes Iran didn’t respond to the assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut last night because it doesn’t want to risk upsetting talks with the US, according to the outlet.

A senior Israeli official says the country is worried about the direction talks with Iran are heading.

“A deal like this is not signed with vague statements, but will precision, technical details, processes, timetables, oversight mechanisms and the like,” says the official of the one-page agreement reportedly under discussion.

“By not going into nitty-gritty one every one of those issues, the Iranians will find easy paths for a renewed nuclear foothold.”

The official tells Channel 12 that Israel does not believe that the US is going to push hard for Iran to agree to limits on its ballistic missile program.