'Israel' not bound by Iran nuclear deal: Lapid to Macron

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Aug 2022 16:52
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As reaching an agreement nears, "Israel", through its PM, rushes to oppose any such deal and stresses that it is not binding to the entity.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid told French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday that “Israel” opposes a return to the Iran nuclear deal and will not be bound by it if one is reached.

"The prime minister made clear to the president that Israel opposes a return to the deal and would not be obligated by such an agreement. Israel will continue to do everything to prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear capability," as per Lapid's office.

Earlier today, Axios reported that tensions are mounting in the relation between the Israeli occupation and the United States amid reported progress in efforts to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal.

White House officials have been trying to reassure their Israeli counterparts that there have been no new concessions to Iran, Axios said citing US officials.

However, senior Israeli officials said Thursday that the Israeli occupation Prime Minister Yair Lapid told the White House that the EU draft goes beyond the 2015 deal and crosses the Biden administration’s own red lines.

Axios cited one Israeli official as saying, "We are not reassured. We are very concerned." But Lapid has no intention of going against Biden over the Iranian nuclear deal, said the news website.

"Our policy is not to reach a public confrontation with the US like the one that has taken place in 2015. We will not ruin the relationship with the Biden administration like Netanyahu did with Obama," a senior Israeli official indicated.

It is noteworthy that Israeli national security advisor Eyal Hulata will meet with his American counterpart Jake Sullivan in Washington next Tuesday, as Israeli officials expect more tough discussions.

In 2015, Iran signed the JCPOA with the P5+1 group of countries (the United States, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom - plus Germany) and the European Union.

It required Iran to scale back its nuclear program and severely downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal's adoption.

However, in 2018, the US, under Trump, abandoned its conciliatory stance on Iran, withdrawing from the JCPOA and implementing hardline policies against Tehran. In April 2021, the parties to the agreement began negotiations to restore the nuclear deal in Vienna.