US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington will work with Israel to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, as the two close allies have acknowledged differences over negotiations with Tehran. Blinken made the remarks in Jerusalem with Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, who told reporters that Israel had “disagreements” with Washington over a possible deal to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. Blinken said President Joe Biden’s government believed the “return to full implementation” of the agreement was “the best way to get Iran’s program back in the box it was in but has since escaped since the United States withdrew.” agreement “in accordance with the previous. President Donald Trump in 2018. The Biden government is working to renew the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is curtailing Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing multibillion-dollar sanctions. The Israeli government strongly opposed the terms of the agreement, saying that reactivating the original agreement was insufficient to contain the Iranian threat. But, Blinken said, “when it comes to the most important element, [Israel and the US] see eye to eye. “We are both committed, both determined, that Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon.” Lapid said that in the midst of disputes with Washington, Israel remains in an “open and honest dialogue” with its closest ally on the Iranian nuclear issue. Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian use only. Blinken made the remarks shortly before meeting with his counterparts from Israel and four Arab countries that established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, at a special gathering where the nuclear deal was expected to be at the top of the agenda. Israel and many of its neighbors are strongly opposed to the agreement, which they believe will encourage and enrich Iran. They have accused Iran of waging proxy wars in the region – a charge Tehran has denied. “The Israeli prime minister has expressed deep concern over the idea of removing the Revolutionary Guards from the US list of terrorists. “Something Blinken certainly did not rule out in any way,” said Harry Fawcett of Al Jazeera, who reports from West Jerusalem. “There remains a very deep gap and Lapid’s assertion that Israel has retained the right to act independently to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons in the future.”
Months of discussions
The European Union’s foreign policy chief said at the weekend that the agreement was likely to be renewed “in a few days”. Iran has been in talks for months with Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia in Vienna to revive the agreement. The US participates indirectly. On Sunday, US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Maley said he was not sure a nuclear deal between world powers and Tehran was imminent. “I can not be sure it’s imminent. A few months ago we thought we were close enough,” Malley told the Doha Forum International Conference. “In any negotiation, when there are issues that remain open for so long, it tells you something about how difficult it is to bridge the gap.” His assessment of the Vienna talks came after Kamal Kharrazi, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said an agreement could be reached soon. “Yes, it is imminent. “It depends on the political will of the United States,” Kharrazi told the forum. The issue of “terrorism” in the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is a point of contention between Tehran and Washington. Speaking at the Doha Forum, Kharrazi said calling the IRGC elite a “terrorist” group was unacceptable, while Malley said many sanctions against the IRGC would remain. Meanwhile, EU negotiator Enrique Mora met with Iranian officials in Tehran and will leave Washington to meet with US officials on Monday.
