Netanyahu Reacts to Resumed Iran Nuclear Talks: “A Prey Caught in the Trap”

Israelis are closely—and anxiously—watching the revival of U.S.–Iran nuclear negotiations, expressing visible disappointment over Washington’s reversal of its previous withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement—a move once achieved under Israeli pressure. The latest American shift signals a retreat from full alignment with Israeli policy on one of Tel Aviv’s most sensitive files.

Nadav Tamir, Executive Director of the Israeli branch of the American lobbying group J Street, admitted in an op-ed published by The Times of Israel that

“Iran now stands at the nuclear brink as a direct result of abandoning diplomacy—driven by Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the agreement, which had been signed three years earlier under Obama and dismantled under Israeli pressure.”

Tamir noted that despite Iran’s full compliance with the agreement—as confirmed by all intelligence agencies—Washington’s exit ended international oversight, allowing Iran to resume accelerated enrichment and push dangerously closer to developing a nuclear weapon.

He added that Trump’s shift back to diplomacy reflects a realisation:

“Israel is incapable of destroying Iran’s nuclear infrastructure—even with U.S. support and arms—and the United States itself lacks the capability to surgically eliminate Iran’s nuclear sites, especially now that Iran has amassed enough enriched uranium to produce a bomb.”

Tamir stressed that a military solution would require a long, costly ground invasion—a scenario contradicting Trump’s global vision, and one made deeply unpopular by the failed U.S. campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He went on to describe the striking symbolism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s silence:

In 2015, Netanyahu flew to Washington to publicly challenge Obama from within the U.S. Congress over the nuclear deal. But now, just days ago, he sat wordlessly beside Trump as the return to diplomacy was announced.

Tamir described Netanyahu as “a prey caught in the trap”—a man who, after decades of fiery speeches and political manoeuvring, was left voiceless in the Oval Office, facing the stark reality that his options had run out.

Though Netanyahu continued to praise Trump’s leadership, Tamir argued that the Israeli prime minister could no longer sabotage the talks as he had with Obama.

“If he resists this new diplomatic path, he’ll be cast aside by the momentum. That’s why he humiliated himself by saying: ‘If diplomacy prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb, then that’s a good thing.’ Words we never imagined hearing from a leader who consistently called for force.”

Tamir also observed a key shift in the regional stance toward Iran:

“Israel’s regional partners—particularly the Gulf states—are not interested in war with Iran. They prefer a diplomatic solution, fearing the economic fallout of military escalation.”

These same governments, he noted, support ending the war on Gaza, advancing normalisation agreements, and now, dialogue with Tehran.

Tamir concluded with a scathing reflection:

It is deeply ironic that Trump—the same man who abandoned diplomacy and triggered regional escalation—is now returning to it, much to Netanyahu’s dismay, but in favour of broader regional stability.

He urged Israel to reconsider its combative approach:

“Rather than sabotaging negotiations again as it did under Obama—damaging critical diplomatic and intelligence relations—Israel would do better to assist the Trump administration in forging a political horizon, including for Palestinians.”

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