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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that removing enriched uranium from Iran is a precondition for ending the US-Israel military operation against Tehran, according to the Israeli defense ministry’s press service, as reported by Russia’s TASS news agency on April 14.

"The United States and Israel have defined removing this material (enriched uranium - TASS) from Iran as a precondition for ending the campaign," the ministry quoted Katz as saying.

Coverage Comparison

TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported the defense minister’s statement in two separate articles. The first, published April 14, focused exclusively on Katz’s precondition and the recent talks in Islamabad. The second, from April 8, drew on a report by The Times of Israel, citing an unnamed Israeli official, to describe Washington’s assurances to Israel ahead of a two-week ceasefire.

The two articles provide complementary details: the earlier one highlights S. promises to Israel regarding Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile threat, while the later one centers on the precondition for ending the military campaign. Both rely on official Israeli sources or an unnamed Israeli official, and neither provides an independent assessment of the claims.

Key Claims

  • Removal of enriched uranium as precondition: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz is quoted as saying that the removal of enriched uranium from Iran is a precondition for ending the US-Israel military operation against Tehran. This claim is attributed to the Israeli defense ministry’s press service.
  • S. promises to Israel: According to The Times of Israel, as cited by TASS, Washington coordinated with Israel in advance of a two-week ceasefire and promised to stick to common goals during talks with Iran. The same report claims Washington promised to demand that Iran halt uranium enrichment, remove all nuclear material from the country, and address the ballistic missile threat. This information is attributed to an unnamed Israeli official.
  • Talks in Islamabad: TASS reports that Iran and the United States held several rounds of talks in Islamabad on April 11. The Iranian delegation was led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, while the S. delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance. Both sides reportedly stated that no agreement on a long-term settlement was reached due to disagreements.