Ambassador to the US says a return to the Iran agreement could hamper future U.S.-Israel strategy toward the Tehran nuclear program.
Israel’s ambassador to the United States has suggested that his country not consult with President Joe Biden on a strategy toward Iran’s nuclear program if the U.S. returns to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Biden has returned to the treaty, which saw Tehran cut its nuclear program as a trade in sanctions relief, a priority, saying it is a key step in reaching new agreements to lift restrictions on nuclear missions Strengthen and expand iron.
Iran has refused to seek nuclear weapons.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed a return to the treaty that pulled former president Donald Trump out of 2018 and instead launched a “maximum weight” campaign of sanctions against Iran.
Although Israel was not a party to the 2015 agreement, Ambassador Gilad Erdan told Israeli Army Radio on Tuesday that the government may not consult with the U.S. on a strategy related to Iran’s nuclear program if the Biden administration returns contract.
“We will not be able to be part of such a process if the new administration returns to that agreement,” Erdan said.
The statement comes as Israel increasingly advocates military action against Tehran for its nuclear program. The killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist in November 2020, which Tehran has blamed Israel, has escalated tensions.
“It seems that it may be only challenging sanctions – maintaining the current sanctions and even adding new sanctions – coupled with a credible military threat that Iran fears – that Iran could implement. lead to genuine negotiations with Western countries that could lead to a treaty that could halt it in the future [to nuclear arms], ”Said Erdan.
Biden has said that the U.S. will return to the 2015 nuclear deal only if Iran returns its obligations under the agreement, whose parties also include China, the European Union, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom.
Tehran, which has started collecting stock and enriching uranium beyond the limits outlined in the agreement, has said Washington must make the first move in lifting sanctions .
Iranian officials have also warned that deadlines – including legislation coming into force on February 21 requiring Tehran to harden its nuclear position if sanctions are not lifted – could elections in June mean the window for a return to agreement is closing.
‘All levers will be lost’
During Tuesday’s interview, Erdan said if the U.S. returns to the agreement, “all its levers will be lost”.
“Basically, the moment it removes the sanctions there will be no real incentive for the Iranians to negotiate and reach a deal that is really capable of regulating nuclear capabilities,” Erdan said.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu, who is up for re-election next month, is finding himself at a difficult level.
He has revived difficult astronomy against Iran but had not yet made direct contact with Biden, prompting a profit that the new administration is trying to draw a harder line than it was through Trump’s leadership .
The Trump administration maintained close ties with Netanyahu and gave him several political benefits, including moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
The White House has denied the delay is a snub.