Israel pushes U.S. to end Iran talks over "nuclear blackmail"

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Secretary of State Tony Blinken in a phone call on Thursday that the Biden administration should end the nuclear negotiations with Iran in Vienna, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Why it matters: Up to now, the Israeli government opposed a return to the 2015 nuclear agreement. Now, Israel is opposing talking to Iran at all.

Driving the news: A senior Israeli official said Bennett’s call with Blinken was “long and difficult” and that 90% of it focused on Iran, including an update from Blinken on the talks that resumed this week in Vienna.

• Bennett raised a new International Atomic Energy Agency report that found that Iran was now enriching uranium to 20% purity at its underground nuclear facility in Fordow using sophisticated IR-6 centrifuges, in violation of the 2015 deal.
• “Iran is engaged in nuclear blackmail as a negotiation tactic — this must lead to an immediate suspension of the talks in Vienna and to harsh retaliation steps by the world powers," Bennett told Blinken, according to a statement from his office.
• Bennett also argued in the call against any sanctions relief for Iran, including in an interim agreement, the Israeli official said.

The other side: A spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry said Bennett's demand didn't come as a surprise to Iran. "Delegates in Vienna won't take instruction from Beit Aghion," he wrote on Twitter, referring to the Israeli prime minister's residence.

• Iran's chief negotiator in Vienna, deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, told Iranian reporters that he had "cautioned the other negotiators that efforts should be made not to allow actors outside the talks to negatively impact the process."

The latest: Blinken said at a press conference in Stockholm on Thursday that he had a “good and detailed” conversation with Bennett. “We have the same strategic objective: preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon," He said.

• Blinken added that the U.S. will know “in a day or two” whether Iran is ready to negotiate in good faith, but "recent moves don’t give us a reason for optimism."

Worth noting: This was the first phone call between Naftali and Blinken, who had communicated previously with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

What’s next: Gantz is expected to visit Washington next Thursday for talks about Iran with Blinken and with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.