Netanyahu fears U.S. and Iran may be holding secret talks

2026-03-05 - 06:16

(Image credit: Courtesy of the respective owners) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly raised concerns with the White House after receiving intelligence suggesting the United States may have held secret contacts with Iran about a possible ceasefire. According to reports, Netanyahu approached the White House after intelligence indicated that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump might be communicating with Iranian officials without Israel’s knowledge. However, a source said the White House assured Netanyahu that the Trump administration had not been holding talks with Iran behind his back. The issue has raised signs of possible tension between the two allies, who recently carried out joint military strikes against Iran. Reports suggest Netanyahu fears that a ceasefire could end the conflict before Israel achieves its military objectives. The New York Times reported that Iranian intelligence officials contacted the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency on Sunday to discuss possible terms for ending the war. However, U.S. officials reportedly treated the approach with skepticism. Netanyahu is said to have contacted the White House the following day and was again assured that no negotiations or message exchanges had taken place with Iran. A U.S. official said American peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in frequent contact with Netanyahu, speaking with him almost every day. The official added that they had not spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi or senior Iranian adviser Ali Larijani since the conflict began. Officials also said that Iran has recently attempted to send messages to Washington through Gulf states, but these approaches were dismissed by the United States. President Trump also ruled out negotiations with Iran on Tuesday. In a post on Truth Social, he claimed Iran’s air defence, air force, navy and leadership had been destroyed and said it was “too late” for talks. The Trump administration has stated that the main aim of the war is to eliminate Iran’s nuclear programme, ballistic missile capabilities and navy, as well as weaken its proxy groups in the Middle East. While Washington has not officially called for regime change in Iran, Trump recently urged the Iranian people to take control of their government, saying the country “will be yours to take.” Israel has taken a more direct approach against Iran’s leadership. Reports say Israeli forces carried out a major strike in Tehran that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after bombs were dropped on his compound in the capital. Senior officials in the Trump administration have distanced themselves from that strike. The White House said that 49 senior Iranian figures have been killed since the conflict began. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to comment on whether the U.S. would work with Mojtaba Khamenei, who is considered a leading candidate to succeed his father as Iran’s Supreme Leader. Trump has suggested that his preferred outcome in Iran would be similar to a situation in Venezuela, where a new leadership structure continued after the U.S. captured former president Nicolas Maduro earlier this year. However, Trump also admitted that such plans could become difficult as Israeli airstrikes continue to kill senior Iranian officials. “Most of the people we had in mind are dead,” Trump said on Tuesday, adding that soon “we are not going to know anybody.” Analysts say Israel may oppose a solution that allows the Iranian regime to remain in power, even if it becomes more cooperative with U.S. interests.