Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat told his US counterpart Jake Sullivan in a secure video call two weeks ago that Israel believes Iran’s nuclear program should be treated separately from its regional activities in future negotiations, two sources say on the call. informed.
Why it matters: While many critics of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal note that it did nothing to curtail Iran’s aggression in the region, Israel is concerned that linking the two issues will spur US and European negotiators to compromise on the limitations of Iran’s nuclear program.
The state of affairs: The Biden administration says it will return the US to the 2015 nuclear deal by lifting sanctions if Iran back into compliance by reversing its recent nuclear moves.
- The main sticking point is the sequence of those movements. The US offered last week to open direct talks to resolve those issues, but Iran has not formally responded.
- Between the lines: Some in the Biden government want to push for a broader and more sustainable deal now – with Iran’s regional behavior and its missile program on the table – but Biden’s stated goal is to restore the 2015 deal and use it as a platform for further negotiations.
Driving the news: Ben-Shabbat told Sullivan in their Feb. 11 call that there should be no attempt to balance non-nuclear steps from Iran – curbing its presence in Syria, for example – with nuclear restrictions such as those for research and development on advanced centrifuges.
- Ben-Shabbat said Israel’s position is that Iran’s nuclear program is an existential threat and should be addressed first, and that the lesser threat from Iran’s regional behavior should be addressed on a separate track, the sources say.
- The Israeli national security adviser added that a nuclear-armed Iran would not abide by regional obligations anyway.
Worth nothing: In the past month, there have been many contacts about Iran between the Biden government and the Israeli government.
- Israeli officials tell me they are generally satisfied with what they describe as the constructive approach to the Biden government and a willingness to listen to Israel’s concerns.
- Secretary of State Tony Blinken has spoken three times with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi – more than with any other foreign counterpart. Blinken also discussed Iran with Yossi Cohen, the director of Mossad intelligence.
The last: On Wednesday, I reported that Israel and the US had agreed to reunite a strategic working group on Iran, and the first round of intelligence talks on Iran’s nuclear program is expected in the coming days.