Netanyahu tasks key aide with vetting US-Iran deal for red lines

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked close confidant Ron Dermer to monitor US-Iranian negotiations aimed at ending the war and make sure the country’s interests are upheld, an Israeli official said.

Dermer’s focus is on ensuring Iran’s nuclear program is dismantled and that its roughly 440 kilograms (972 pounds) of highly enriched uranium is retrieved and eliminated, said the official, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters.

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The Israeli government believes US President Donald Trump has the same goals, the official said. Dermer, a former ambassador to Washington and Netanyahu’s minister of strategic affairs until November last year, is close to many in the Trump administration, including the president.

The appointment signals how seriously Netanyahu views the talks that Trump announced on Monday and how his government is at least somewhat wary of the US opting for a deal that goes against Israel’s interests.

While there’s been little sign of disagreement between Israel and US over the war, the two have differed on their ultimate aims. Israel has talked up regime change in Iran more than the US. The surge in energy prices caused by the conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have piled pressure on Trump in a way they haven’t for Netanyahu.

Still, Netanyahu spoke to Trump on Monday and said he was confident any US-Iran agreement can build on the war’s accomplishments and “safeguard our vital interests.” He added that Israel had recently assassinated two more Iranian nuclear scientists and would continue to attack Iranian targets as necessary.

Dermer, who’s written many of Netanyahu’s speeches and worked at his side for a quarter century, has been a public speaker in the US and Australia since stepping down as a minister.

Netanyahu has continued to consult with him, asking him to step into talks with Lebanon over the disarming of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. In effect, Dermer, born and raised in Florida, is playing a role similar to that of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, with access and authority but little official accountability.

Trump said he hoped to reach a deal with Iran by around Friday, though there are still many gaps between the countries. Iranian media played down talk of an imminent agreement and said Trump is trying to push down oil prices.

Read more: Trump says Iran ‘means business,’ gives talks five-day window