Within a few months we will find ourselves facing a nuclear Iran: the dramatic warning after the Netanyahu-Trump meeting

Former Israeli ambassador to the US, Danny Ayalon, expresses skepticism about the outcomes of the Netanyahu-Trump meeting. In an interview with 104.5FM, Ayalon said that no operational steps were presented to stop the Iranian nuclear program. According to him, Trump's statement that Iran will not have nuclear weapons is not new, and the question is how he will enforce it. Ayalon noted that Trump's stance towards Iran is weak, and that opening the Strait of Hormuz receives higher priority than the nuclear issue. He explained that Israel requested not to separate the two issues, but the Iranians insisted on Hormuz first. Ayalon pointed to the expanded meeting composition as a sign of a non-operational discussion, and to Trump's internal political considerations. He presented a pessimistic scenario where the US reaches an agreement on Hormuz first, transfers billions to Iran, and then discusses the nuclear issue – which could lead to a nuclear Iran within months. An optimistic scenario would include linking Hormuz with the nuclear issue. Ayalon concluded that this depends on American influence and the extent of Israel's influence on Washington vis-à-vis Qatar and Turkey.