Israel holding secret talks with Russia on Iran, Syria during ceasefire: Report

By Faruk Hanedar and Merve Berker

JERUSALEM/ Israel has held secret negotiations with Russia on Iran and Syria during its ceasefire reached with Tehran, a report said Wednesday.

The Israeli state broadcaster KAN said that Tel Aviv has maintained high-level contacts with Moscow in an effort to find a diplomatic solution concerning both Iran and Syria.

Following Russia’s offer to mediate between Israel and Iran, Israeli authorities reportedly initiated talks with Moscow about a week after the ceasefire was declared.

No specific details about the content of the talks were provided in the report.

Meanwhile, Israel is also said to be seeking a broader agreement with the US on Iran.

According to the report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to raise the issue during his planned meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week.

Israel reportedly aims to outline a framework on Iran similar to the agreement previously reached with Lebanon.

Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on June 13, which were halted following a ceasefire announcement by Trump on June 24.

After the ceasefire with Iran came into effect, Israeli officials have been discussing expanding "normalization agreements," also known as the Abraham Accords, and it has been claimed that negotiations with Syria are also underway as part of this effort.