JERUSALEM, March 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be determined to reach a deal with Iran aimed at ending hostilities in the Middle East, three senior Israeli officials said on
Trump's Push for Iran Deal Faces Hurdles, Israeli Officials Express Doubt
Challenges and Perspectives on U.S.-Iran Negotiations
Background of the Negotiation Efforts
JERUSALEM, March 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be determined to reach a deal with Iran aimed at ending hostilities in the Middle East, three senior Israeli officials said on Tuesday.
Israeli Officials' Assessment
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that they viewed it is unlikely that Iran would agree to U.S. demands in any new round of negotiations, which broke down on February 28 with the launch of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Key U.S. Demands
Those U.S. demands were likely to include curbs on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Statements from U.S. and Iranian Leaders
Trump's Optimism
Trump wrote on social media on Monday that the U.S. and Iran had held "very good and productive" conversations about a "complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East".
Iran's Response
Iran said after Trump's post that no negotiations had taken place.
Israeli Leadership's Perspective
Netanyahu's Remarks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Trump believed there was a possibility of "leveraging the mighty achievements obtained by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and the U.S. military, in order to realize the goals of the war in a deal - a deal that will preserve our vital interests."
Implications for Regional Security
(Reporting by Jerusalem bureau; editing by Rami Ayyub)
