Published On 25/3/2026
|
آخر تحديث: 22:59 (توقيت مكة)
Israel is preparing for the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump will announce a ceasefire with Iran in the coming days, with estimates suggesting an announcement could come as early as Saturday, though final confirmation remains elusive and his position could shift unexpectedly, according to Israeli officials who spoke with Channel 12.
According to prevailing assessments in Tel Aviv, Trump may announce a ceasefire even without reaching a final agreement, prompting Israel’s political and security leadership to accelerate their on-the-ground activity and prepare for various scenarios.
Israeli leadership in recent days approved what it described as “achieving accomplishments,” by establishing a priority list of objectives to be achieved before any potential U.S. Intervention to halt operations. Sources indicated these objectives will be completed if a ceasefire is imposed, while work on them will continue over time if it does not occur, with ongoing updates.
Israeli Skepticism
Conversely, Israel is concerned about the possibility of a temporary ceasefire to facilitate negotiations, with assessments that Washington may offer concessions during any negotiating process, a prospect Tel Aviv views with caution.
Israeli positions reflect skepticism about the chances of reaching a detailed and precise agreement between the United States and Iran, described as slim, with the possibility of a framework agreement remaining, necessitating preparation for it.
Preparations
According to Israeli military sources, Trump’s announcement regarding the negotiating track came as a surprise and caused tension within the military establishment, especially given the continued Iranian escalation and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The sources indicated that the Israeli military has slowed the pace of its strikes inside Iran at this stage, as part of what it described as a “reorganization” of operations to understand the direction of the U.S. Administration, while affirming that the target bank has not been exhausted, and the military has thousands of additional targets, including sites related to the nuclear program.
In a sign of the negotiating dimension, Israeli media quoted a security source as saying that Israel’s abstention from targeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is part of maintaining a potential channel for negotiations and for “the day after.”
Trump had previously spoken of talks with Tehran, hinting at the imminent end of the war, and also pointed to “strong” negotiations with Iran, announcing a postponement of military strikes he had threatened against Iranian energy facilities.
Since February 28, the United States and Israel have been carrying out attacks on Iran, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and security officials, while Tehran responds by launching missiles and drones towards Israel.
Iran is also targeting what it says are American interests in countries in the region, but its attacks have resulted in deaths, injuries, and damage to civilian facilities, which has been condemned by the targeted countries and demands for its immediate cessation.
