Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US President Donald Trump that Israel would not be bound by the agreement reached between the US and Iran, CNN reported Thursday, citing an unnamed Israeli official.
The official said that Netanyahu was attempting to influence the ongoing 60-day negotiation process under the agreement, claiming that the Israeli premier is trying to shape the final agreement by using right-leaning media figures and senators close to him to pressure Trump.
According to the official, Netanyahu believed there would be no final agreement between the US and Iran and that Tehran would not genuinely accept restrictions on its nuclear program.
The official also claimed that Netanyahu informed Trump that Israel was not bound by the agreement, which includes provisions on ending the war, including in Lebanon. One person was killed and another critically injured Thursday in an Israeli drone strike targeting a car in southern Lebanon, despite the US-Iran understanding, according to Lebanese state media.
READ: Despite US-Iran deal, Israel says troops to remain in 10-km zone inside Lebanon
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has not yet issued an official statement on the claims.
Iran-US agreement
Iran and the US announced on Sunday that they had reached a 14-point memorandum of understanding through a negotiation process mediated by Pakistan, aimed at ending the war and resolving disputes through talks.
The memorandum, known as the Islamabad Memorandum, entered into force after being signed digitally on Thursday by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Trump.
The agreement includes provisions on ending the war, including in Lebanon, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade on Iran.
Following the signing of the memorandum, the parties are expected to begin a 60-day negotiation process on issues including Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions in an effort to reach a final agreement.
