JERUSALEM — Israel's security cabinet convened an emergency session on Friday as the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared a formal diplomatic protest over the emerging United States–Iran nuclear and sanctions agreement, which Israeli officials have described as an existential threat to the country's security architecture in the Middle East.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, who on Thursday called the deal 'very bad,' was recalled to Jerusalem for consultations, while Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew to the Foreign Ministry to deliver a formal note of objection. Officials in Jerusalem said Israel had not been adequately consulted during the final stages of negotiations and described the 14-point framework — which reportedly includes the lifting of US sanctions on Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — as a document that legitimises Tehran's regional ambitions.

The deal, which US officials have characterised as a historic de-escalation framework following the recent military confrontation between Israel and Iran, has drawn sharp condemnation from across Israel's political spectrum. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told the security cabinet that Iran's centrifuge infrastructure remained largely intact under the reported terms, and warned that Tehran would use sanctions relief to reconstitute funding for Hezbollah, Hamas, and allied militias across the region.

Hezbollah's Secretary-General, in a statement issued from Beirut on Thursday, praised the agreement and congratulated Iran, framing the 'linking of the Lebanese arena' to the diplomatic outcome as a strategic vindication. Israeli intelligence officials told the cabinet that Hezbollah's public celebration of the deal underscored their concern that the agreement rewarded Iranian proxy networks rather than dismantling them.

The White House issued a brief statement acknowledging Israel's concerns and pledging ongoing consultations, but senior administration officials signalled that Washington viewed the framework as essential to preventing renewed escalation in the Gulf. With the Strait of Hormuz set to reopen under the deal's terms, oil markets responded positively in Asian trading, though Israeli government bonds slipped as investors priced in prolonged regional diplomatic friction.