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Trump’s Iran ‘Nuclear’ Signals Raise Concerns in Tel Aviv

US President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 16, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 16, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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Trump’s Iran ‘Nuclear’ Signals Raise Concerns in Tel Aviv

US President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 16, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 16, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is concerned about signals from US President-elect Donald Trump, particularly regarding Iran and the West Bank, political sources in Tel Aviv said.

The sources indicated Trump is seeking a nuclear deal with Tehran rather than a military strike and appears unsupportive of any Israeli move to annex the West Bank.

Trump’s aim, the sources added, is to send a clear message to Iran that both military and diplomatic options remain on the table to address its nuclear threat.

He is also leveraging the possibility of an Israeli attack as a means of pressure.

Trump is reluctant to go to war with Iran and does not see the need to completely destroy its nuclear facilities, a goal Israel cannot achieve alone, political sources said.

The US President-elect favors a major Israeli strike supported by the United States from a distance rather than a large-scale joint military operation, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is pushing for.

Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS reported that Trump told Netanyahu he would address Iran’s nuclear program but opposed Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank.

The report added that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s comment that “2025 will be the year of annexation” drew criticism from Republican Party sources, who warned that annexation would harm Israel’s international standing.

Israeli media said Trump and Netanyahu held talks on Saturday, while Netanyahu’s envoy, Adam Boehler, held meetings in Israel to discuss key issues.

Israeli analysts said on Monday that Netanyahu is unlikely to order a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, citing domestic divisions over judicial reforms and a lack of clear support from Trump.

They noted Iran has not yet decided to build a nuclear weapon, reducing the urgency for military action.

Nahum Barnea, a columnist for Yedioth Ahronoth, said regional developments in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, along with changes in US leadership, have created a rare opportunity to strike Iran.

“Iran’s air defenses are weaker, flight paths are open, and the threat of an Iranian counterattack has diminished,” Barnea wrote.

Still, he said Netanyahu remains hesitant, recalling how the prime minister abandoned a similar plan in 2011 and blamed Israeli security officials and the Obama administration for the retreat.

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World

Russia Summons Japan Ambassador Over Disputed Islands Row

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin interacts with local residents on Iturup island, one of four islands in the contested chain known as the Kuril Islands in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, on August 13, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov / Pool / AFP)
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin interacts with local residents on Iturup island, one of four islands in the contested chain known as the Kuril Islands in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, on August 13, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov / Pool / AFP)
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Russia Summons Japan Ambassador Over Disputed Islands Row

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin interacts with local residents on Iturup island, one of four islands in the contested chain known as the Kuril Islands in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, on August 13, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov / Pool / AFP)
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin interacts with local residents on Iturup island, one of four islands in the contested chain known as the Kuril Islands in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, on August 13, 2026. (Gavriil Grigorov / Pool / AFP)

Japan's ambassador to Moscow was expected Tuesday to respond to Russia's summons over a row about disputed islands visited by President Vladimir Putin for the first time last week.

Bilateral relations have long been dogged by the Kuril islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and seized in 1945 by the Soviet Union which then expelled the Japanese population.

Putin, 73, visited the territories last Thursday, prompting Japan to summon Russia's ambassador in protest.

It was the first trip there by a Russian president since Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, who served as head of state from 2008-12 while Putin was prime minister.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the islands "are an inherent part of Japan's territory, both historically and under international law."

Moscow said Monday it had summoned the Japanese envoy, Akira Muto, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying that Tokyo had "crossed the line of decency".

Muto did not immediately accede to the summons however.

"We were told either that he was not in Moscow or that he was unwell. We did not quite understand the situation," Lavrov said.

Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova later told state news agency TASS that after Lavrov's comments the ambassador had "suddenly started feeling better" and would attend on Tuesday.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that Muto did not initially respond out of concern that Russia would unilaterally dominate the discussions, making a balanced exchange difficult.

However, Tokyo decided to reply to the summons after internal deliberations, NHK said citing unnamed sources.

Ties between Japan and Russia have worsened since the full-scale conflict in Ukraine began in 2022.

Japan has joined other G7 countries in sanctioning Russia and giving money and non-lethal defense aid to Kyiv, which like Washington recognizes Japanese sovereignty over the disputed islands.

Japan indirectly supports Ukraine's air defense by exporting domestically produced Patriot interceptor missiles to the United States, helping replenish US stockpiles that have been reduced by military aid to Kyiv.

Analysts said that Putin's visit to the Kurils could have been aimed at warning Japan off deepening support to Ukraine, potentially by supplying Patriot missiles directly, and cooperation with NATO.

While Japan has eased restrictions on defense exports in recent years, it remains unable to supply lethal military equipment directly to a country at war, including Ukraine.

World

Russia Downs 180 Drones in Moscow Region Overnight

Pedestrians walk past a destroyed DIY and construction materials mall "Galaktika" following an overnight attack, which local Russian-installed officials called Ukrainian drone strikes, in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on August 16, 2026, amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. (Photo by AFP)
Pedestrians walk past a destroyed DIY and construction materials mall "Galaktika" following an overnight attack, which local Russian-installed officials called Ukrainian drone strikes, in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on August 16, 2026, amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. (Photo by AFP)
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Russia Downs 180 Drones in Moscow Region Overnight

Pedestrians walk past a destroyed DIY and construction materials mall "Galaktika" following an overnight attack, which local Russian-installed officials called Ukrainian drone strikes, in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on August 16, 2026, amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. (Photo by AFP)
Pedestrians walk past a destroyed DIY and construction materials mall "Galaktika" following an overnight attack, which local Russian-installed officials called Ukrainian drone strikes, in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on August 16, 2026, amid the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict. (Photo by AFP)

Russia downed 180 drones in the Moscow region overnight, the capital's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said on the Telegram messaging app early on Tuesday, in one of the biggest Ukrainian air ‌attacks on ‌the Russian capital.

Drones ‌hit ⁠a warehouse of ⁠Russian e-commerce company Wildberries and other facilities near Moscow, regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said separately, adding that at least three ⁠people, including a 10-year-old ‌girl, were ‌injured in the region, reported Reuters.

Wildberries, a ‌frequent target of ‌Kyiv's attacks following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, said in a statement that the ‌warehouse experienced minor damage after drone debris hit ⁠one ⁠of its walls.

Overall, 620 drones were heading for the region surrounding the Russian capital between Monday evening and 5 a.m. (0200 GMT), according to Sobyanin, and Moscow was temporarily restricting flights at its airports.

World

UKMTO: Vessel Struck by Unknown Projectile in Strait of Hormuz, Crew Casualty Reported

Archive photo of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz (AFP)
Archive photo of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz (AFP)
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UKMTO: Vessel Struck by Unknown Projectile in Strait of Hormuz, Crew Casualty Reported

Archive photo of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz (AFP)
Archive photo of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz (AFP)

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received a report on Tuesday that a vessel was struck ‌by an ‌unknown projectile ‌while ⁠transiting outbound in the ⁠Strait of Hormuz, causing engine room damage and a crew casualty, with the ⁠remaining crew being ‌assisted ‌by the Omani Coast ‌Guard, Reuters said.

No environmental impact ‌has been reported and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said.

The incident ‌comes as shipping through the Strait of ⁠Hormuz remains ⁠severely disrupted, with vessel crossings still in the single digits, down from more than 130 a day before the war.