The return of the US to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran is something that Israel has repeatedly voiced it rejects. There are reports of direct and indirect messages from the US to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that US efforts to reach a deal that would keep the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear agreement “floating” and ensure that the US and Iranian parties resume their roles under it.
Israel’s National Security Council chief Meir Ben-Shabbat and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met in Washington to discuss the “serious concerns” about the progress of Iran’s nuclear program and agreed on the “significant threat” posed by Iran’s behavior in the Middle East, a White House statement said.
US-Israeli communication continues, particularly with regard to the ongoing nuclear talks in Vienna. This round of negotiations is concerned with reviving the JCPOA agreement. We’re still a long way from talking about a stronger, longer-term nuclear deal that also covers Iran’s ballistic missile program and actions in the region.
By all accounts, relations between US President Joe Biden and Israel are pretty good. The only issue is the president’s relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The men have a hard time getting along with each other.
Some speak of an old animosity that makes it hard for them to come to good terms. However, this does not affect the US commitment to support its ally Israel’s security in various ways. This commitment is beyond question, regardless of who is in the White House.
As a matter of fact, the Biden administration may look with concern at Israeli practices toward Iran. In the end, however, this will not factor into preventing Israel from doing what it takes to assure its security. This is for a number of reasons.
One is to avoid offending a large part of the Israeli political and security community. The Netanyahu line of thinking, including the need to do everything possible to ensure that the Iranian nuclear project is put out of gear, resonates with this audience.
Second, Israel’s operations against the mullahs’ regime at various security levels are in the interest of the American negotiator. They do compound the mullahs’ fears of a widening confrontation with Israel and a direct US entry into any war between the two major Middle Eastern archrivals, carrying with it the specter of that regime crumbling under US military blows.
No doubt, the climate of the ongoing negotiations in Vienna is inevitably affected by the pressures of successive Israeli strikes against the regime’s elements and militias. Despite all the talk about Iran being hard-line, there is no denying the significant impact of the Israeli strikes, which have undermined much of the mullahs’ self-respect and standing among their supporters.
So, it is safe to say that Israel ratcheting up pressure on Iran’s mullahs is actually a strategic lever for the US negotiating position against Iran’s defiance and arrogance. The question, however, is this: Is the US negotiator taking advantage of this in Vienna? The real answer lies in the negotiating rooms.
But evidence and leaks suggest that the desire of President Biden’s team to achieve a breakthrough on the Iranian issue may be playing into the lack of direct support for Israeli pressure. The Iranian negotiator is known for dodging and maneuvering in ways that often wear down and frustrate others.
Perhaps no better testament to the Iranian negotiator’s ability to outflank six major world power negotiators all these years and get them to sign a disastrous deal full of flaws and loopholes, is the experience of the four years of negotiations leading up to the 2015 agreement.