Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

CIA expects no revival of Iran nuclear deal, but Americans warn Israeli officials they won't go to war over it, according to media

CIA expects no revival of Iran nuclear deal, but Americans warn Israeli officials they won't go to war over it, according to media

The team of CIA Director William Burns is said to have dashed Israeli hopes for US military action against Iran under President Ebrahim Raisi. It comes after the Israeli defense minister reportedly insulted NATO. 
CIA Director William Burns’ team is said to have dampened Israeli hopes for US military action against Iran under President Ebrahim Raisi. It comes after a reported insult made to NATO by the Israeli defense minister.

Burns made his first visit to the Middle East as CIA chief this week. In Israel, Iran was the focus of negotiations with officials. According to Haaretz sources in the Israeli government, members of the Burns delegation told their Israeli counterparts that it was unlikely that the US and Iran would come to an agreement on renewing the US-abandoned 2015 international nuclear deal.

And even if Tehran refuses to continue negotiations, “it does not look like the Americans have the intention of responding militarily, and it is unlikely at the moment that there will be such a response,” a source told the newspaper.

The Israeli government of new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett maintains the same bellicose stance toward Iran that his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu maintained. The confrontation has become more acute with the change of government in Tehran, where conservative hardliner Raisi was sworn in as president last week.

The talks on a possible revival of the nuclear deal, which is formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), were launched after President Joe Biden took power in the US. The Trump administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018, launching a so-called “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran instead. Tehran eventually responded by gradually refusing to observe its part of the deal, which offered the country the lifting of sanctions and business opportunities in exchange for accepting limitations on its nuclear industry.

Months of indirect negotiations in Vienna, which mostly happened during the tenure of Raisi’s more moderate predecessor Hassan Rouhani, failed to result in a breakthrough. The new Iranian president didn’t pull his country out of the talks, but with him in charge, a positive outcome seems even less likely.

Israel used Burns’ visit to paint the new Iranian leader as unstable and untrustworthy, giving the Americans a dossier to back this assessment, according to Israeli media. “The Mossad [Israeli intelligence agency) described him as someone with mental disturbances,” Israel’s Channel 12 claimed, citing a source.

The CIA director’s visit comes amid an escalation in what appears to be a clandestine maritime conflict between Israel and Iran, in which the two parties allegedly target each other’s commercial ships with sabotage. Last month, the oil product tanker MT ‘Mercer Street’ was targeted by a suspected Iranian drone attack, which resulted in the deaths of two crew members. Tehran denied any involvement in the incident.

According to Haaretz, Israel’s efforts to push its Western allies into retaliating against Iran with force resulted in a diplomatic flop. Defense Minister Benny Gantz reportedly called NATO “an organization that shies away from action, and does nothing” during a UN Security Council meeting on the tanker incident, which representatives of NATO allies present at the session reportedly found rude and tactless.

Gantz’s media adviser, Amir Koren, downplayed the remark, saying his boss simply cited an opinion given “by someone who said that 20 years ago.” The minister felt he could be less diplomatic in his current position than a foreign minister would be under the same circumstances, Koren told the newspaper.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
×