As U.S.-Iran diplomacy remains primarily focused on Tehran’s nuclear program, Israeli officials and analysts warn that ballistic missiles remain a central red line for Jerusalem and could shape any decision on unilateral action.

Before departing for his trip to Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to press Israel’s priorities in the talks. "I will present to the president our views regarding the principles of the negotiations — the important principles — and, in my view, they are important not only for Israel, but for anyone in the world who wants peace and security in the Middle East."

Those priorities, Israeli officials say, extend beyond the nuclear file and include Iran’s missile capabilities. Israeli defense officials have recently warned U.S. counterparts that Iran’s ballistic missile program constitutes an existential threat to Israel and that Jerusalem is prepared to act alone if necessary, according to reporting by The Jerusalem Post.

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The outlet reported that Israeli security officials conveyed in recent weeks their intent to dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities and production infrastructure through a series of high-level exchanges with Washington. Military planners outlined potential operational concepts aimed at degrading the program, including strikes on key manufacturing and development sites.

A spokesperson for Israel’s defense minister declined to comment on the issue.

Sima Shine, a former senior Israeli intelligence official and current senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, told Fox News Digital that limiting talks to the nuclear issue risks missing what Israel considers the broader threat.

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"If negotiations deal only with the nuclear file and ignore the missiles, Israel will remain exposed," Shine said. "Iran treats its ballistic missile program as its main deterrence and will not give it up," stressing that Tehran views them as a defensive and deterrent capability dictated by the supreme leader, as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country would not negotiate on its ballistic missile program, rejecting a core U.S. demand and further dimming prospects for a breakthrough deal. Shine described that stance as a fundamental red line for Israel. 

She also warned that Tehran may be stalling diplomatically while assessing whether Washington will limit the talks to nuclear constraints alone.

"They have room to show flexibility on enrichment," she said, noting that activity slowed after strikes on facilities, "but missiles are different. That they would not discuss."

Israeli concerns extend beyond the negotiating table. A former intelligence official familiar with strategic planning said Israel retains the capability to strike independently if necessary.

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"Israel can act by itself if there is no choice," the former official said, adding that missile expansion and regional threats would be key triggers.

Shine says that the optics of Israeli pressure on Washington could complicate matters.

"If missiles become the central public demand, it may look as if Israel is pushing the U.S. toward military action," she said. "If that fails, Israel could be blamed."

She added that Iran’s missile arsenal is not aimed solely at Israel but forms part of a broader deterrence strategy against the United States and regional adversaries.

For Israel, the implication is clear. A nuclear agreement that leaves Iran’s missile infrastructure untouched could be seen in Jerusalem as stabilizing the regime while leaving the most immediate threat in place. That calculation, Israeli analysts say, defines the red line.

Fifteen people were arrested in Europe on Tuesday for allegedly spreading Islamic State terrorist group propaganda over TikTok, a report said. 

The suspects, whose ages ranged from 16 to 53, were taken into custody in raids across the Netherlands, according to Reuters. 

The news agency cited Dutch prosecutors as saying the suspects were detained on suspicion of spreading propaganda from ISIS on TikTok and trying to persuade people to carry out terrorist attacks. 

The arrests were sparked by a TikTok account that spread large amounts of ISIS propaganda with Dutch subtitles, the prosecutors reportedly added.

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Thirteen of those arrested were Syrian and four had Dutch nationality, suggesting that some of the suspects were dual nationals, Reuters reported. 

TikTok did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

The arrests come as the U.S. military remains active in Syria against ISIS.

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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced last Wednesday that it carried out five strikes against "multiple" Islamic State targets in recent days as part of a joint military effort to "ensure the enduring defeat of the terrorist network." 

CENTCOM said, from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, its forces "located and destroyed an ISIS communication site, critical logistics node, and weapons storage facilities with 50 precision munitions delivered by fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aircraft."  

"Striking these targets demonstrates our continued focus and resolve for preventing an ISIS resurgence in Syria," Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement.

CENTCOM said it launched the Operation Hawkeye Strike mission in response to a Dec. 13, 2025, ISIS "ambush" attack against U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria.  

That attack left two U.S. service members and an American interpreter dead. 

María Corina Machado said Monday that a Venezuelan opposition leader was seized in Caracas shortly after being released from jail.

Machado wrote in a post on X that Juan Pablo Guanipa, a key ally, was kidnapped by heavily armed men in civilian clothing in the Los Chorros area of the capital.

"We demand his immediate release," she said.

Alfredo Romero, the president of the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal, said 35 political prisoners were released on Sunday, including Guanipa, who was initially arrested in May.

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Reuters reported that Venezuelan authorities were seeking court approval to place Guanipa under house arrest.

The country’s Public Ministry alleged that he violated the terms of his release but provided no additional details and did not say whether he had been re-arrested.

Guanipa’s Primero Justicia party said on X that he was forced into a silver Toyota Corolla during the incident.

"We hold Delcy Rodríguez, Jorge Rodríguez, and Diosdado Cabello responsible for any harm to Juan Pablo's life," the party wrote. "We call on the international community for the immediate release of Juan Pablo Guanipa and for an immediate and unconditional end to the persecution of the opposition."

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Rodríguez has been serving as the interim president of Venezuela since the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores earlier this year.

In late January, President Donald Trump said Venezuela was releasing political prisoners at a "rapid rate," praising the move as a "powerful humanitarian gesture" by the country’s leadership.

An estimated 687 political prisoners remain in custody in Venezuela as of Feb. 2, according to Foro Penal.