U.S. almost excluded Israel from talks

Two Israeli defense officials said on May 23 that the United States had almost completely excluded Israel from negotiations with Iran, leaving Jerusalem to reconstruct developments through regional contacts and surveillance, according to a New York Times report cited by The Times of Israel. The officials said Israel was “not involved at all” in the discussions. The account pointed to a sharp gap between Israel, which has been directly involved in military action against Iran, and a U.S. diplomatic track now being handled largely without it. The report surfaced as Washington and Tehran continued indirect talks over a ceasefire and Iran’s nuclear program. ### How far out of the room do Israeli officials say they were? Two Israeli defense officials told The New York Times that Israel had been almost completely excluded from the talks and had to learn about developments from regional diplomatic contacts and surveillance, according to The Times of Israel. The officials said Israel was “not involved at all” in the discussions. Jerusalem has faced this problem before in U.S.-Iran diplomacy, but the complaint now comes after a 2026 conflict in which Israel and the United States both carried out strikes on Iranian targets and Iran responded with attacks across the region, according to a House of Commons Library briefing. That history gives Israel a direct security stake in any terms under discussion. ### What are Washington and Tehran actually negotiating? The House of Commons Library said the 2026 talks cover more than a ceasefire. The issues include Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. sanctions, ballistic missiles, maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and whether Iran can keep nuclear material on its own territory. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s top negotiator, warned of “crushing, bitter” consequences if the United States “foolishly” restarted the war, The Times of Israel reported on May 23. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also insisted that enriched uranium must remain in Iran, according to reporting cited in the briefing materials, narrowing the space for a deal. ### Why would Israel care about the details if it is not at the table? Israel has argued for years that the details of any Iran arrangement matter as much as the headline. The current talks touch on enrichment, sanctions relief, missile limits and shipping through Hormuz — all areas that affect Israel’s military planning and regional posture, according to the House of Commons Library. The 2026 conflict has already drawn in Hezbollah and triggered Iranian counter-strikes as well as U.S.-Israeli operations, the same briefing said. That means Israeli officials are not watching a distant negotiation; they are watching talks tied to an active regional confrontation. ### What does this say about the U.S.-Israel relationship right now? President Donald Trump has pursued indirect talks with Iran even as Israeli officials prepared for the possibility that fighting could resume, according to previous Times of Israel reporting in April and May. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were “good signs” in the negotiations but also said “we’re not there yet,” The Times of Israel reported. Those parallel tracks — U.S. diplomacy and Israeli military contingency planning — have been visible for weeks. The latest Israeli account adds a new complaint: not only are the two governments pursuing different tactics, Israeli officials say they are receiving only limited visibility into the talks themselves. ### What should readers watch next? Marco Rubio, Donald Trump and Abbas Araghchi are the named participants to watch for the next public readouts on the talks. The next concrete developments are likely to come through White House statements, Iranian negotiating comments and further reporting on whether indirect U.S.-Iran contacts continue or break down. The House of Commons Library said the open issues include sanctions, missiles, Hormuz security and the handling of enriched uranium. Any public movement on those points — especially whether Iran can retain nuclear material on its soil — will show whether the talks are narrowing toward an agreement or heading back toward military escalation.