Trump envoy holds quiet meeting with Israeli officials ahead of Iran nuclear talks

A top-level, unannounced meeting between Israeli officials and a senior Trump administration envoy took place in Paris, just ahead of the second round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations.

Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Mossad Director David Barnea discreetly traveled to Paris to meet White House envoy Steve Witkoff. The purpose of the meeting was to influence Washington’s position before the upcoming nuclear talks with Iran, scheduled to be held in Rome on April 19, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The meeting comes amid growing concern in Jerusalem that the US might pursue a deal reminiscent of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), brokered under the Obama administration and later abandoned by then-President Donald Trump. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly warned against returning to what he views as a flawed and dangerous agreement.

Neither the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office nor a spokesperson for Witkoff offered any public comment on the Paris meeting.

Witkoff had been in the French capital for discussions related to the conflicts in Russia and Ukraine and is now en route to Rome for the Iran talks.

During his Paris meetings, Witkoff reiterated the Trump administration’s current approach, emphasizing a preference for diplomatic resolution over military confrontation. “The Trump administration's goal on Iran is to resolve the nuclear crisis through diplomatic means and ensure Iran will no longer enrich uranium,” he said, according to sources present.

Netanyahu and other Israeli security hawks, however, remain skeptical of diplomacy alone and continue to press for either a deal that fully dismantles Iran’s nuclear capabilities or direct military action to neutralize the threat.

While Trump has maintained a hardline stance, he also signaled openness to extended negotiations. On April 17, he stated he was in “no rush to move forward with a military strike because he believes Iran ‘wants to talk.’”

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Witkoff’s counterpart in the negotiations, is set to arrive in Rome following a diplomatic stop in Moscow. There, Araghchi held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials, reportedly seeking Kremlin support for Iran’s position.

“We hope Russia will play a role in a possible deal,” Araghchi said.

He acknowledged that the first round of talks with the US demonstrated a degree of seriousness but expressed concern over mixed messages from Washington. “We hear conflicting messages from the US in public and in private. What’s said at the negotiating table is what matters,” he stressed.

Araghchi also stated that a deal remains within reach, provided the US avoids “unrealistic demands.” Among the sticking points, he said, is Washington’s insistence that Iran “completely halt uranium enrichment.”

The second round of negotiations is slated to begin at approximately 5 a.m. ET on April 19 at the Omani embassy in Rome. Talks are expected to last at least five hours.

The US delegation is hoping to emerge from the session with a clear framework outlining the next steps in the negotiation process. As diplomatic activity intensifies, all eyes are on Rome to see whether the meeting will pave the way for a renewed agreement—or escalate tensions further.

By Vafa Guliyeva