In comments to reporters on Thursday, Barnea reportedly called the nuclear deal negotiation a “strategic disaster” for Israel and said the United States is “rushing into an agreement that is ultimately based on lies.” The message was more pointed and seen as more critical of the US position than other recent statements from Jerusalem. Lapid had met with Barnea between the Mossad chief’s briefing to reporters and the publication of the remarks, trapping Lapid, Channel 12 news reported. Barnea had briefed reporters at 11 am. provided his comments are not published until 8 p.m. Barnea and Lapid had a pre-arranged meeting during that time, which was announced by the prime minister’s office. Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms Lapid was aware of Barnea’s media briefing, but they had not coordinated the comments, and Barnea’s statements differed from the talking points released by the prime minister’s office several days ago and the message Lapid was trying to convey, the report said. of Channel 12. Shortly after Barnea’s comments were published, Lapid called the Mossad chief, telling him he had gone off script in his criticism of the US and asking for clarification. It was unclear whether Lapid had directly reprimanded Barnea, reports said. It also appeared that one or more Jewish media outlets misquoted Barnea as if he directly criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the Iran issue, when he had not, Channel 12 also said. Barnea said Thursday that the emerging deal with Iran was “very bad for Israel” and based on lies, citing Iran’s claim that its nuclear activities are peaceful. Barnea added that a deal seemed inevitable “in light of the needs of the US and Iran.” Washington seeks to prevent Tehran from gaining the ability to build a nuclear bomb, while the Islamic Republic seeks relief from crippling financial and economic sanctions. According to Barnea, the deal, because of its sunset clauses, “gives Iran permission to amass the required nuclear material for a bomb” in a few years and will also provide Tehran with billions of dollars in frozen funds, increasing the risk that impregnates Iran. throughout the region through its proxies. Lapid’s recent statements on the deal have been less pointed. He told reporters on Thursday that Israel’s efforts to influence the outcome of the negotiations were bearing fruit, but that the deal was still “a bad deal” for Israel. The prime minister pointed to both national security adviser Eyal Hulata’s trip to Washington this week for “very intensive discussions” on the issue and Defense Secretary Benny Gantz’s visit to the US, which began on Thursday. Defense Minister Benny Gantz meets with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington, DC, August 26, 2022. (Yossi Mai/Ministry of Defense) Gantz told US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Friday that Israel “needs” the US to have a credible military option against Iran, a senior Israeli official told reporters on Friday. According to the defense official, Israel has received “good indications” that the US has an offensive plan to work against Iran. He did not elaborate, but said this could potentially make Tehran more flexible during negotiations. The official said the meeting between Gantz and Sullivan in Washington was “intimate” and “positive”. He said Gantz had highlighted Israel’s objection to the potential deal. Channel 12 also reported Friday that Mossad told Lapid that a renewed deal with Iran would likely be signed in the coming days or weeks. The Israel Defense Forces and the Mossad are preparing a series of actions against Iran in response, including targeting its nuclear program, terrorist activities and arms smuggling. On Wednesday, Iran announced it had received the US response to its proposal to return to the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, from which then-US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declined to characterize the administration’s response to the latest proposal, but noted that “we are closer now than we were just a few weeks ago because Iran has decided to do some concessions”. Israel has long opposed the deal, arguing that Iran is seeking to build a nuclear bomb and has released information it says reveals Iran’s weapons program. Iran has denied any malicious intent and claims its program is designed for peaceful purposes, although it has recently been enriching uranium to levels that international leaders say have no political use. It’s not (only) for you. Supporting The Times of Israel is not a transaction for an online service, such as subscribing to Netflix. The ToI community is for people like you who care about a common good: ensuring that balanced, responsible coverage of Israel continues to be available to millions around the world, for free. Sure, we’ll remove all ads from your page and unlock access to some great Community-only content. But your support gives you something deeper than that: the pride of participating in something that really matters. Join the Times of Israel Community Join our Community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You are a devoted reader We are really glad that you read X Times of Israel articles last month. 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