Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat said in a secure video call to his US counterpart Jake Sullivan two weeks ago that Israel believes that Iran’s nuclear program should be dealt with separately from its local activity in future negotiations.
Why it matters: While many critics of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal note that it has done nothing to curb Iran’s aggression in the region, Israel is concerned that linking the two issues will give US and European negotiators incentives to compromise on the restrictions. on Iran’s nuclear program.
The state of affairs: The Biden government says it will bring the US back to the 2015 nuclear deal by lifting sanctions if Iran complies with its recent nuclear action.
- The most important point is the order of the movements. The US last week offered to open direct talks to work through these issues, but Iran did not formally respond.
- Between the lines: Some in the Biden government want to push for a broader and longer lasting agreement now – with Iran’s regional behavior and its missile program on the table – but Biden’s stated aim is to restore the 2015 agreement and use it as a platform for further negotiations.
Send the news: Ben-Shabbat told Sullivan in their February 11 call that no effort should be made to balance non-nuclear steps from Iran – for example, to limit its presence in Syria – with nuclear restrictions such as those on research and development on advanced centrifuges.
- Ben-Shabbat said that Israel’s position is that Iran’s nuclear program is an existential threat and that it must first be addressed, and the lesser threat of Iran’s regional behavior must be addressed on a separate track.
- The Israeli national security adviser added that a nuclear weapon would not meet Iran’s local obligations in any case.
Note: In the past month, there have been many contacts about Iran between the Biden government and the Israeli government.
- Israeli officials tell me that they are generally satisfied with what they describe as the constructive approach of the Biden government and willingness to listen to Israel’s concerns.
- Foreign Minister Tony Blinken has spoken three times with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi – more than any other foreign counterpart. Blinken also discussed Iran with Yossi Cohen, the director of the Mossad intelligence agency.
The latest: On Wednesday, I reported that Israel and the US have agreed to reconvene a strategic working group on Iran, with the first round of intelligence talks surrounding the Iranian nuclear program expected in the coming days.