In this handout file photo taken and released on December 9, 2021 by the EU delegation in Vienna, EEAS shows representatives attending a meeting on the Iran nuclear deal in Vienna, Austria.
Handout/EU DELEGATION IN VIENNA/AFPIn this handout file photo taken and released on December 9, 2021 by the EU delegation in Vienna, EEAS shows representatives attending a meeting on the Iran nuclear deal in Vienna, Austria.

Israeli officials have expressed concern that the deal does not address Iran's ballistic missile projects, its drone production or its support for terrorism

Despite U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's denial, Israeli officials believe that the U.S. and Iran will sign an agreement on Tehran's nuclear program in the coming weeks. 

According to these officials quoted by Ynet, U.S. President Joe Biden is determined to conclude an agreement with Iran for political reasons, in order to strengthen his bid for re-election in 2024 and boast significant diplomatic achievements.

Israeli officials believe that the U.S. agreement with Iran will be limited: there will be no meetings between senior officials of the two governments, and no official signing of the agreement. 

According to Israeli sources, Iran would agree to limit its uranium enrichment to 60 percent, strengthen its cooperation with UN nuclear inspectors and release the American prisoners it is holding. In exchange, the US would release billions in frozen Iranian assets.

Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Israeli parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said in an interview with Channel 12 that Israel could live with such an agreement if it included rigorous supervision of Tehran's nuclear program.

National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi added that, in his view, the current deal would not cause as much "damage" as the 2015 agreement. He also stressed that Israel was prepared to deal with any increase in Iran's fissile purity beyond 60 percent.

AP / Hasan Sarbakhshian 2007©
AP / Hasan Sarbakhshian 2007©Iran's nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz in 300 kms 186 (miles) south of capital Tehran.

Israeli officials have expressed concern that the current deal does not address Iran's ballistic missile projects, its drone production or its support for terrorist groups in the Middle East. They also believe that Israel's influence on the deal is limited due to the political motivations of the Biden administration and current tensions between the two countries.

Despite this, the officials acknowledge that there is no guarantee that a closer relationship between Washington and Jerusalem would have led to a different outcome. They point out that the Biden administration sees reaching an agreement with Iran as a priority objective, while Israel will continue to vigorously oppose it, stressing that any such agreement will not bind Israel.

A Western official also told Reuters that the aim of such an agreement would be to prevent a deterioration in the situation and avoid a possible military confrontation between Israel and Iran. He stressed the desire to avoid a vigorous Israeli response in the event of a miscalculation on Iran's part.

magnifier linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram