2026-02-15T19:15:13+00:00

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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.