What do the United States and "Israel" have planned for Iran?

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"Israel" has reportedly assured the top U.S. officials that it will ease tensions in the occupied territories and help the U.S. carry out "covert and semi-covert operations inside Iran" if the U.S. helps "Israel" get along better with Saudi Arabia.

The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth revealed on February 3 that as part of a secret deal, US officials met Israeli leaders in "Tel Aviv" in the past few weeks to deliberate on measures to tighten the screws on Iran. They promised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would help normalize "Israel's" relationship with Saudi Arabia in exchange for "Israel's" help with secret operations in Iran.

The claim comes on the heels of "Israel's" last drone attack, which targeted a high-tech Iranian weapons factory in Isfahan on January 29. The attack, however, did not cause much damage to the factory.

The newspaper says the parties have also agreed to maintain the status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque and cease the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Additionally, "Israel" promised to make the Palestinian Authority stronger by giving it "sufficient" administrative power to run on its own.

While tensions in Palestine have been rising and more than 35 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the year, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and CIA Director William Burns made whirlwind tours to "Tel Aviv" in the last month as part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts to defuse tension in the region and make things worse for Tehran.

"Israel" Denies

Even though Netanyahu's administration denied negotiating a deal with the US, the Israeli prime minister has said more than once that he wants to formalize relations with the Saudi monarchy in the same way "Tel Aviv" did with Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan in 2020 as part of the so-called Abraham Accords.

The US and "Israel" have been working in close cooperation on a range of issues related to Iran, including intelligence-sharing and the development of military countermeasures. In March 2020, the US signed a joint memorandum of understanding with "Israel" that includes enhanced security cooperation in the region. The two countries have also committed to working together on counterterrorism and countering Iran's “malign” activities. Similarly, of late, the US has intensified its efforts to further push Iran into diplomatic isolation and sever its trade and diplomatic relations with the international community.

Late in January, the US and "Israel" commenced Juniper Oak 23, a big joint military exercise in "Israel", to demonstrate to rivals such as Iran that Washington is not too preoccupied with the war in Ukraine and can mobilize a significant military force to counter threats from Iran and China. As one of the most important displays of force, 6,400 American and 1,100 Israeli forces participated in the drill. Over 100 of the aircraft were from the United States military, including four B-52 bombers, four F-35 fighter jets, 45 F/A-18 Hornet fighters, and two MQ-9 Reapers. Six Israeli ships and a carrier strike group from the United States also took part.

 "Tel Aviv's" soft spot for Riyadh

"Tel Aviv" wants a fresh start with Riyadh so it can resist Iran's rising regional influence. In its view, gaining the backing of the Kingdom would be a major step toward settling the Arab-Israeli conflict.

In an interview with the Saudi channel Al Arabiya in December 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that normalization with Riyadh is essential for peace between "Israel" and Palestine. Following recent concerns over a Saudi-led decrease in global oil production, he also encouraged US President Joe Biden to reinforce Washington's ties with Riyadh. He stated that the longstanding US alliance with Saudi Arabia and other nations must be reaffirmed. "I believe we can develop a fresh peace effort that will constitute a quantum leap toward resolving both the Arab-Israeli problem and, eventually, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict." He said, "And of course, I am speaking about what may be a genuinely amazing and historic peace with Saudi Arabia."

Again with CNN on February 1, Netanyahu said that he planned to broaden the "circle of peace" by addressing more Arab countries, with Saudi Arabia as his primary priority. According to him, the so-called Abraham Accords dispel the illusion that peace with the Palestinians is the path to normalcy. "I believe that the key to our success is to prevent the Palestinians from dominating the Arab world," he stated.

As early as February 5, he told the French channel LCI that "peace between "Israel" and Saudi Arabia will end the Arab-Israeli issue, and this will lead to a realistic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." Earlier, during his meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan last month, he stated that his administration would strive to establish full diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia. "Tel Aviv" is ready to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia and bring them into the "circle of peace," Netanyahu said.

"Israel's" anti-Palestine overtures

Even if "Israel" desired a stronger relationship with Arab nations, it continued its brutal treatment of Palestinians and construction of illegal colonies surrounding the constrained Gaza Strip. The advocacy group "Do not Buy into Occupation" (DBIO) disclosed in a report regarding European investments in "Israel's" illegal settlements, published in December last year, that the investments grew to $171.4 billion in 2022 from $141 billion in the previous three years. This group is made up of nearly 24 Palestinian, regional, and European organizations. Their goal is to look into and reveal any links between European financial institutions and companies that do business with illegal Israeli settlements.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted on February 5: "Today, during a cabinet meeting, we decided to establish a new settlement near the Gaza Strip in collaboration with the Minister of Construction and Housing, Yitzhak Goldknopf."

The development comes just days after Israeli authorities approved plans to build public and commercial structures on confiscated Palestinian land, most notably in the illegal settlements of Kiryat HaYovel, Arnona, and Katamonim. These structures would have approximately 1,200 units.

Hamas promptly attacked the Israeli government's decision to create a new illegal settlement in the Al-Naqab desert region close to the Gaza Strip, which was announced recently. Hamas warned in a strong voice that the decision is "a dangerous escalation that will neither give security and stability to the settlers nor give the occupation legitimacy or sovereignty over the territory." It also asked the international community to "take on its responsibilities in dealing with the racist policies of the occupation" because they "threaten regional peace and security."