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Source: https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/01/06/trump-rejects-iran-talks-new-pressure-timeline/
Trump Rejects Proposal for Iran Talks
(Israel Hayom) Danny Zaken - A proposal for restarting talks with Iran put forward by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and supported by senior advisor Jared Kushner was rejected by President Donald Trump, who chose an "active approach" that prioritizes severe economic and military pressure over renewed dialogue with the current regime in Tehran. Within the administration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth raised significant counter-arguments during discussions, citing the regime's chronic lack of credibility, its role as a fomenter of war and terror, and the critical issue of ballistic missiles, which Iran refuses to discuss. During a meeting last week between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Trump, Netanyahu's military secretary Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman - designated to be the next head of the Mossad - presented a comprehensive intelligence dossier detailing the regime's activities. This included efforts to revive the nuclear program, the ballistic missile array currently undergoing rehabilitation and expansion, Iran's global terror network - including cells in Europe and South America - and its support for proxy terror organizations including Hizbullah, Hamas, and the Houthis. The dossier also presented the specific intentions of Tehran and its terror proxies to strike American targets and interests, not just in the Middle East. The goal was to demonstrate that any agreement with Iran would be temporary and prone to violation, and that a genuine resolution to the problem is required. According to a senior Israeli official, Jerusalem and Washington have been handling the Iran file with close cooperation and intelligence sharing. There is now a detailed timetable for conduct vis-a-vis Iran. Regarding the nuclear issue, possible responses have been determined based on the progress of Iran's attempts to rehabilitate various sites - including enrichment facilities. On the critical issue of Iran's ballistic missile array, which proved to be the weapon capable of inflicting the most damage on Israel, the administration has been convinced of the need to set red lines, including the construction of missile production and assembly factories, as well as shipments of raw materials and components, primarily from China.