Israeli military intelligence and senior officials in the Mossad have informed a meeting of the national security cabinet that talks in Vienna between Iran and other world powers will lead the US to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, two officials who attended the meeting said.
Why it matters: The Israeli government is deeply concerned about a US return to the nuclear deal and is trying to convince the Biden administration not to relieve pressure from the Iranian regime.
Driving the news: The Mossad mainly informed the cabinet meeting about the status of the Iranian nuclear program. Military intelligence officials discussed Iranian actions in the region at the meeting.
- The two intelligence services gave similar assessments of the state of negotiations in Vienna.
What they say: “We are not very optimistic to say the least,” a senior Israeli official who attended the meeting told me. “We will not be surprised if the US and other world powers sign a deal with Iran within weeks.”
- National security adviser Jake Sullivan told “Fox News Sunday” that talks in Vienna with Iran were “constructive” and that a real effort is being made to return to mutual compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.
- Sullivan added that the US will not lift sanctions unless it has “clarity and confidence” that Iran will return fully to all of its commitments under the 2015 agreement.
What’s next: Israeli officials told me that no new policy decisions were made at today’s cabinet meeting, and Israel will continue dialogue with the Biden government over negotiations with Iran.
- Over the next two weeks, Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbatt, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, Israeli Military Intelligence Chief Tamir Hayman and Mossad Director Yossi Cohen will visit Washington for talks with their counterparts about Iran, officials tell me.