New Israeli Government Reviewing Iran Policy Ahead of Biden Meeting
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is reviewing Israel’s policy on Iran ahead of an as-yet unscheduled meeting with US President Joe Biden, and is said to be considering how to influence the US visa vis its possible return to the Iran nuclear deal.
The new Israeli government is debating whether Israel is better off with no nuclear deal as Iran rushes toward having the components for a nuclear weapon or to try to influence the Biden administration as it returns to the deal, Axios reports, citing an unnamed Israeli official. “There are several questions in the discussions — is the current treading water better or worse than a U.S. return to the deal, if and how Israel can influence the Biden administration, and what the current situation means for developing an Israeli military option,” the official told Axios’ Barak Ravid.
The Times of Israel reported that Israel could push the Biden administration to keep some sanctions against Iran in place even if it rejoins the agreement.
The IAEA announced on Wednesday that Iran was producing enriched uranium metal, used to make the core of a nuclear bomb.
The US and Iran have been participating in indirect negotiations in Vienna since late April aimed at bringing Iran back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement with the world powers.
Bennett is expected to meet with Biden at the White House in the next couple of months and as early as late July.
