Israeli FM Attempting to Interfere with Vienna Talks
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Israeli foreign minister, Yair Lapid, is making a few high-level meetings with European leaders ahead of the resumption of Vienna talks, showcasing "Israel's" obsession with sabotaging the diplomatic efforts of Iran.
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Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid
Yair Lapid, the Israeli foreign minister, was heading to Europe on Sunday to discuss with British and French leaders the resumption of the Vienna Talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, signed between Iran and the P5+1 in 2015.
The Israeli official is scheduled to meet with British PM Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in London on Monday, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday.
Lapid's visit to London also signals a new shift in the UK-Israeli relationships, with Lapid and Struss announcing that their respective governments are in the process of signing a 10-year trade and defense pact, which will see cooperation on issues of cybersecurity and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, a sign of bad-faith ahead of the Vienna talks.
In a joint article published in the Daily Telegraph, Truss and Lapid said that both governments would "work night and day to prevent the Iranian regime from ever becoming a nuclear power".
Furthermore, the cybersecurity pact comes closely after the shocking revelation that Pegasus, the military-grade spyware designed by Israeli company NSO Group, had been used to spy on two British lawyers advising the ex-wife of the ruler of Dubai, Princess Haya. NSO Group has been added to the US' list of restricted companies in response to its role in hacking 37 smartphones belonging to journalists, human rights activists, and business executives
"Israel" is concerned
Top Israeli officials have already voiced their disapproval of the deal, with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett previously saying that "Tel Aviv" was highly concerned about the nuclear talks and major world powers lifting sanctions on Iran in return for imposing restrictions on its nuclear program.
The occupation's PM voiced his concern over the "flow of billions to Iran in the face of insufficient nuclear restrictions."
On Saturday, various Israeli security figures voiced their concerns over the talks and Iran's return to the JCPOA altogether.
Earlier on Sunday, the US special envoy to Iran said Washington and its allies were likely to exert pressure on Iran if it uses the Monday talks "as a pretext to accelerate its nuclear program."
Mounting threats
Israeli military and political figures have expressed their refusal to abide by the JCPOA's negotiations outcome, vowing to act unilaterally if they deem it "dangerous" despite calls from the West to conform to the rule of law in this matter.
"Israel's" concern of the US return to the nuclear deal could also be seen in Israeli expert assessments, including ex-Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, who told Ynet news that "independent strikes on nuclear sites, if Iran takes this path that endangers our existence, should and must be on the table — unequivocally."
Negotiations to resume today
On Saturday, the chief Iranian negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, arrived in Vienna to participate in the seventh round of the Vienna talks set to be held on Monday.
It is noteworthy that the nuclear talks will take place indirectly, as the European Union delegate will communicate with the US envoy in charge of the Iranian file, Robert Malley, and the Iranian delegation that refuses to meet the US representative face to face.
