Middle East Institute associate fellow Dr. Nazee Moinian analyzes Iran’s current political and military landscape after U.S. military action on ‘The Story.’
As PresidentDonald Trumpsignals progress toward a possible agreement with Iran, Israeli officials. analysts increasingly are outlining what Jerusalem believes any deal must include to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its military and regional power.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel and the United States remain in "full coordination" as negotiations continue.
"We share common objectives,. the most important objective is the removal of the enriched material from Iran, all the enriched material, and the dismantling of Iran’s enrichment capabilities," Netanyahu said at the opening of a security cabinet meeting.
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Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran, on April 29, 2024.(Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
"We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours,. it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Wednesday.
At the same time, Trump warned that if negotiations fail, "we’ll have to go a big step further."
For Israel, the question is not simply whether the war ends,. whether Iran emerges from negotiations weakened or repositioned to rebuild. Israeli officials fear a weak agreement could allow Tehran to preserve strategic capabilities, regain economic breathing room. eventually restore the regional network of armed groups that threatened Israel before the war. Jerusalem is also seeking guarantees that any future deal preserves military leverage. freedom of action if Iran violates its commitments.
Against that backdrop, Israeli analysts say Jerusalem’s red lines focus on four core areas: dismantling Iran’s enrichment infrastructure, restricting its ballistic missile program, preventing Tehran from rebuilding Hezbollah. Hamas, and ensuring the regime does not gain political legitimacy or strategic relief from the negotiations.
On the nuclear issue, former Israeli National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror said Israel’s position remains uncompromising.
"Weaponized uranium must leave Iran," Amidror said. "The Iranians must not be allowed to enrich uranium."
Israeli journalist and commentatorNadav Eyal agreed, adding that Israel is seeking a much stricter framework than previous agreements.
"Israel wants Iran to stop enrichment for as long as possible. for the enriched material to leave Iran," Eyal said, adding that Jerusalem is looking for "an arms control agreement that would be extensive and robust."
An unclassified image released by U.S. Central Command showing strikes on Iran.(U.S. Central Command/Reuters)
Avner Golov. vice president of the Mind Israel think tank, told Fox News Digital that Israel also wants Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure dismantled entirely.
"In the nuclear arena, what matters is the removal of the enriched material, the destruction of the underground facilities, including those still being built,. a prohibition on new sites," Golov said.
Golov also warned against "sunset clauses" that would allow restrictions to expire after several years.
"There must be an agreement without sunsets," he said, calling for "unprecedented monitoring. supervision, anywhere, under any conditions and not dependent on Iranian approval."
Jonathan Ruhe, Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) fellow for American strategy, told Fox News Digital, "Ultimately the United States. Israel should have strongly similar redlines for an acceptable deal," he said, including "shutting down Iran’s nuclear weapons program completely, permanently and verifiably."
Ruhe said that goes beyond Iran handing over highly enriched uranium. includes shutting down remaining enrichment-related facilities at Pickaxe and Isfahan.
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President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on Oct. 13, 2025.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Alongside the nuclear issue, Israeli analysts say Iran’s ballistic missile program has become equally central to Israel’s security concerns.
"One of the key questions is whether there will be any sort of limitation on the ballistic missile program of the Iranians," Eyal said. "Israel sees this as no less of anexistential threat than the nuclearissue."
Amidror warned that without missile restrictions, the threat could eventually extend beyond Israel andEurope.
"If there are no restrictions on the missile program. then missiles that today can reach half of Europe will, within five to 10 years, be able to reach the United States," he warned.
Golov argued that a nuclear-only agreement would leave Iran free to rebuild a missile shield protecting a future nuclear breakout.
"A deal that focuses only on the nuclear program would allow the Iranians to produce thousands of missiles. create a protective shield around their nuclear program."
Ruhe similarly said limiting Iran’s missile arsenal must include preventing Iran from rebuilding production capabilities damaged during the war.
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Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts projectiles over Tel Aviv on Feb. 28, 2026, amid retaliatory missile barrages from Iran targeting Gulf states and Israel.(Jack Guez/AFP)
Another major Israeli concern is thatsanctions reliefor renewed trade could funnel money back to Iran’s regional proxies.
"Israel is demanding that the Islamic Republic isolate itself from involvement withLebanonand Gaza. stop supporting armed groups that operate against Israel," Eyal said.
"For Israel. it is a material issue that the money injected into Iran will not be used to rebuild the proxies in the region," he added.
Amidror said Iran’s ability to support Hezbollah and Hamas has already been weakened by the collapse of regional supply routes.
"The Iranians cannot effectively support the proxies because there is no longer a land bridge from Iran to Syria," he said,. warned that if negotiations leave the impression that Washington backed down, Iran’s regional proxies could emerge stronger even after the war.
Ruhe similarly argued. Israel wants to avoid any agreement that restores legitimacy to the Iranian regime without fundamentally weakening it.
"Avoiding anything that legitimates Iran’s regime. abandons the Iranian people" is critical, Ruhe said, including "giving guarantees against future attacks or compensating Tehran for wartime damages."
Satellite imagery shows reinforcement efforts at the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. a heavily fortified, deep underground tunnel complex near Iran’s Natanz enrichment site.(Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
Ruhe warned that for Israel, a "bad deal" is ultimately any agreement that restrains Israel’s future freedom of action against Iran. its proxies.
"This is one big reason Iran wants toensnare the Trump administration inopen-ended negotiations that sideline military options. create daylight between Washington and Jerusalem," Ruhe said.
Efrat Lachter is a foreign correspondent for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent toefrat.lachter@fox.com.
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