US envoy Steve Witkoff will arrive in Israel on February 3 for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and other senior officials, television station N12 reported. 

The visit precedes alleged critical nuclear negotiations scheduled for later that week in Istanbul, where Witkoff and fellow envoy Jared Kushner will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi alongside representatives from mediating countries, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan serving as mediator. The talks are also the first meeting between Iranians and the US in several months following the deadly protests in Iran, which left several thousand people dead from clashes with security forces. 

Still, the US appears to be sending mixed signals regarding their true intentions. An American carrier group has been dispatched to the Persian Gulf as regional capitals work to prevent escalation, with Israel confirming participation in a joint Red Sea naval exercise with a US Navy destroyer and Israeli vessels under the 5th Fleet framework.

Israeli concerns centre on the potential scope of any US-Iran agreement. Officials fear that Washington will not insist on zero enrichment or removal of the 450 kgs of uranium enriched to 60% buried underground.

According to local reports, there are additional anxieties that, even with American understanding of nuclear threshold requirements, US negotiators may neglect Israeli demands regarding ballistic missiles and regional terrorism through Iranian proxies.

Despite the diplomatic track, Israeli officials cited by local media believe the Americans will ultimately choose military action.

Last weekend, Chief of Staff Zamir conducted a two-day US visit with intensive discussions on Iran, accompanied by senior IDF officials, including incoming Air Force commander Brigadier General Omer Tishler. Following his return, Zamir met with Defence Minister Yisrael Katz to discuss the IDF's operational readiness for any scenario.