Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz on Friday expressed reservations about a possible agreement between the US and Iran, saying the deal sought by US President Donald Trump primarily serves US interests.
"The US president is currently working toward an agreement with Iran with American interests in mind, including the shared interest with Israel - to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons - and we expect him to stand by this principle," Katz wrote on Telegram.
Israel expects Washington to also take other security concerns into account, he added, citing the Iranian missile programme and Tehran's support for armed groups, which he referred to as terrorists.
Israel must ensure it can continue to act independently in the future to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, Katz said.
"Our security concept is clear and unambiguous: we act against threats near and far and strive for decisive victories, not compromises or concessions."
The defence minister also said Israel would not withdraw from the "security zones" he had designated in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip. He justified this by citing a threat from "jihadist forces and organizations."
The statement is likely to refer, among others, to the Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Shiite Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Both organizations are supported by Iran.
Officials in the US, Iran and mediator Pakistan indicated on Friday that they were near agreement on the text of a peace deal to end the war that began at the end of February.
