Iran's nuclear program and regional behavior should be dealt with separately, Israel tells U.S.
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Blinken and Biden at the State Department. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty
Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat told his U.S. counterpart Jake Sullivan in a secure video call two weeks ago that Israel thinks Iran's nuclear program should be dealt with separately from its regional activity in future negotiations, two sources briefed on the call tell me.
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 give American and European negotiators incentives to compromise on limitations to Iran's nuclear program.
The state of play: The Biden administration says it'll return the U.S. to the 2015 nuclear deal by lifting sanctions if Iran returns to compliance by reversing its recent nuclear steps.
- The main sticking point is the sequencing those moves. The U.S. offered last week to open direct talks to work through those issues, but Iran has not formally responded.
- Between the lines: Some in the Biden administration want to push for a broader and longer-lasting deal now — with Iran's regional behavior and its missile program on the table — but Biden's stated objective is to restore the 2015 deal and use it as a platform for further negotiations.
Driving the news: Ben-Shabbat told Sullivan in their call on February 11 that there shouldn't be an attempt to balance non-nuclear steps from Iran — curbing its presence in Syria, for example — with nuclear limitations like those on research and development on advanced centrifuges.
- Ben-Shabbat said Israel's position is that Iran's nuclear program is an existential threat and must be dealt with first, and the lesser threat of Iran's regional behavior should be dealt with on a separate track, the sources say.
- The Israeli national security adviser added that a nuclear-armed Iran wouldn't abide by any regional commitments anyway.
Worth noting: In the last month there have been many contacts on Iran between the Biden administration and the Israeli government.
- Israeli officials tell me they are generally satisfied with what they describe as the Biden administration's constructive approach and willingness to listen to Israel’s concerns.
- Secretary of State Tony Blinken have 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 the Mossad intelligence agency.
The latest: On Wednesday, I reported that Israel and the U.S. agreed to reconvene a strategic working group on Iran, with the first round of talks on intelligence surrounding the Iranian nuclear program expected in the coming days.
