An Israeli network, i24NEWS, citing The New York Times, has reported that the United States has almost entirely excluded Israel from negotiations with Iran. According to the report, two Israeli security officials said that Tel Aviv was not present in talks held prior to a ceasefire and has only been following the negotiations between Washington and Tehran through regional diplomatic contacts and its own intelligence sources. The New York Times stated that despite close coordination between Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump at the outset of the war against Iran, Israel’s role in the process has now diminished. The newspaper added in conclusion that “the shift in Israel’s position from a pilot in the cockpit to a second-class passenger could have significant consequences for the country.”
