Shafaq News- Middle East

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday outlined four key demands for any future diplomatic agreement between the United States and Iran.

In a recorded address to AIPAC, Netanyahu said that “merely halting uranium enrichment is not enough,” adding that dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, transferring all enriched uranium stocks out of the country, reducing ballistic missile programs' range to 300 km, and ending support for armed groups across the region are also among the demands.

US media reported that senior officials in the US military and intelligence community are holding internal discussions on the possibility of supporting a new round of Israeli strikes on Iran.

CBS News revealed that in December 2025, US President Donald Trump told Netanyahu during a Mar-a-Lago meeting that he would “support Israeli strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile program” if Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement.

Two months later, CBS reported that internal deliberations had begun on potentially supporting a fresh Israeli campaign against Iran, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of national security discussions.

Other US officials cited in the report said that the deliberations focused less on whether Israel would act and more on how the United States could assist, including aerial refueling for Israeli aircraft and the “sensitive issue of obtaining overflight permissions” from countries along potential flight routes.

It remains unclear which countries would grant the US permission to use their airspace for refueling Israeli aircraft in preparation for a possible strike. Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have publicly stated they will not allow their airspace to be used for strikes on Iran or for Iranian strikes on other countries.

The second US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, along with its strike group, will be deployed to the Middle East to join the existing substantial US presence.

Four US officials told CBS that a carrier strike group will be redeployed from the Caribbean, a move that would position massive firepower within striking distance of Iran amid rising regional tensions.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he “prefers diplomacy” regarding Iran, confirming that US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to hold “important meetings” with Iranian officials, adding, “We will see how things proceed.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed for Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday at the head of a diplomatic delegation to take part in the second round of talks with the United States scheduled for next week.

A statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry noted that Araghchi is expected to meet several international officials, including Switzerland’s foreign minister, Oman’s foreign minister, and the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), along with other representatives based in Switzerland, to review developments related to the nuclear file and other issues of mutual interest.