The Afghan crisis has turned everything upside down. The attacks in Kabul completely monopolized Joe Biden on the morning of August 26, forcing him to postpone his meeting with Naftali Bennett until Friday. The visit of the Israeli Prime Minister was however eagerly awaited. Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, few foreign leaders have had the opportunity to see the US president in the White House, like Chancellor Angela Merkel or King Abdullah II of Jordan, in July. But it was above all the closeness of the strategic relationship between the United States and Israel and the latter’s entry into the post-Netanyahu era that gave the meeting a historical dimension. Especially since Joe Biden does not know Naftali Bennett personally.
The Israeli Prime Minister intended to propose “A new spirit” cooperation in Washington. On the merits, however, no surprises were expected. The main point of divergence concerns Iran and its nuclear program. The United States still hopes for a revitalization of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPoA), from which it had withdrawn under the Trump presidency, which has aroused hostility from Israel.
But discussions between diplomats from the signatory countries, conducted in Vienna, were interrupted at the request of Tehran at the beginning of June, due to the presidential election, which saw the victory of the ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raïssi. Iran has yet to commit to a date for resuming negotiations. However, the more time flies, the more the chances of success diminish, as the nuclear program advances. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran has produced uranium metal enriched up to 20% for the first time and has increased its production capacity for enriched uranium to 60%. %. These are serious violations of its own commitments. But Washington is not yet ready to acknowledge the failure of the effort led in Vienna.
“Mitigate the risks”
“The sanctions did not have the effect on Iran that Trump and Netanyahu expected, recognizes an Israeli diplomat. Bennett seeks to underline the very negative change of course in Tehran with the election of Raïssi in June. ” The Israeli Prime Minister wants to avoid, unlike Benyamin Netanyahu, public outbursts in this matter. But he defends his country’s military leeway, suspected of several daring sabotage operations against Iran’s nuclear program. According to New York Times Thursday, the Israeli Mossad warned its American counterparts in April, just two hours before the detonation of explosives in the Natanz plant.
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