Israel was not surprised by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement early Monday morning about “good and productive talks” with Iran, which led him to withdraw his ultimatum and suspend strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure and power plants for the next five days, Israeli officials said on Monday, according to a Ynet report.

Already on Sunday night, senior Israeli officials said that intensive behind-the-scenes contacts were underway between the United States and Iran—both directly and through Qatari and Turkish mediation—in an effort to reach a deal. In its first stage, Iran would allow the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the US would refrain from striking Iran’s power plants; in a second stage, the sides would attempt to reach a ceasefire agreement.

Israel supported a wide-scale strike on Iran’s power stations and infrastructure and was prepared to bear the cost, recognizing that such action would likely trigger Iranian retaliation against Israeli infrastructure. However, a senior political source said that ultimately, it is clear Israel will align with Trump and whatever decisions he makes.

The officials added that Trump has not removed the option of striking Iran’s energy infrastructure but rather froze it for five days to allow negotiations. From the outset, Israeli officials understood that Trump’s ultimatum was designed to secure progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and to pave the way toward ending the war.

The talks between Iran and the US have taken place through several channels, including US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and mediation via Qatar and Turkey. As in previous cases, Qatar has served as the primary mediator.

Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said, “Trump blinked first—out of a clear understanding that striking Iran’s energy infrastructure would trigger a direct and significant response. As for negotiations, messages have clearly been exchanged, but there is a strong reason to doubt that Iran has actually conceded. It is likely the regime will not reopen the strait without significant concessions from the US.”

He continued: “From Tehran’s perspective, this is a notable achievement: they did not surrender, did not retreat, and may have forced Washington to recalibrate its objectives. For Trump, it appears the goal has now shifted—from regime change to reopening the strait.”

“The bottom line is that the conflict is not over,” he emphasized. “It is still evolving, but a possible path to de-escalation has emerged. Still, one key question remains—if Iran does not reopen the strait within five days, threats alone are unlikely to change that. Pressure without incentives rarely works.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)