Washington has privately pressed Israel to refrain from any unilateral military strikes on Iran while U.S. and Iranian delegations meet in Oman later this week, Israeli officials say. The request, timed for talks scheduled on Friday, reflects intensive strategic coordination between the two allies as they seek to minimise the risk of an unintended escalation that could scupper delicate negotiations in Muscat.
Israeli media describe the run-up to the talks as a period of unusually close military and intelligence interaction with Washington. Senior Israeli officials report frequent visits and exchanges with U.S. counterparts, signalling high-level strategic communication and a shared interest in managing short-term risks even as deeper disagreements persist over Iran’s regional activities and nuclear ambitions.
Tehran has reacted warily to the reported U.S. request, fearing that Washington might tacitly permit Israeli strikes during the negotiating window—a concern rooted in the flare-up of hostilities between Israel and Iran last June that lasted some twelve days. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the talks will proceed as planned on Friday, but emphasised that tensions between Tehran and Washington remain elevated.
There were brief signs that the meeting could be derailed by changes to the text and scope of the agenda, but both capitals later reconfirmed their intention to go ahead. The U.S. reportedly seeks to broaden the talks to include Iran’s missile programme and its backing for armed groups across the Middle East, while Iran insists it will discuss only nuclear issues.
Israel is treading a delicate line. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a security meeting to assess the state of play and contingency responses, underscoring Jerusalem’s unease about any agreement that might fail to address Iran’s regional reach. For Israel, the core worry is preserving a credible deterrent against a nuclear-armed Iran while preventing a diplomatic window from being exploited to alter the military balance on terms unfavourable to Israeli security.
For Washington, the request to Israel is a pragmatic gambit: shielding negotiations from immediate disruption while pursuing broader pressure points on Iran. The move highlights the diplomatic tightrope Washington is walking—attempting to reopen channels with Tehran without alienating a key regional ally or appearing to abandon its concerns about missiles and proxy networks.
The outcome of the Oman talks will be consequential beyond the substance of any agreement. If the negotiations make headway, they could slow the pace of direct confrontation and reduce the chance of an Israel-Iran military exchange. Conversely, any perception that the U.S. is constraining Israeli options without delivering tangible limits on Iran could deepen mistrust and prompt covert or asymmetric responses by Israel or its partners.
In short, the U.S. request that Israel stand down during the Oman meetings is a short-term stabilisation effort with long-term stakes. It reflects both the fragility of diplomacy with Tehran and the persistent risk that local actors, driven by existential security concerns, will test the limits of what a negotiated settlement can deliver.