Israeli media: Washington wants Netanyahu out of the picture for JCPOA

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
3 Jun 2023 00:21

The Israeli official denies that it was the judicial overhaul that prevented Netanyahu from visiting Washington but rather it was because the Americans didn't want to discuss Iran with him.

Israeli and US flags during a protest in support of US President Joe Biden, outside of the US Embassy Branch Office in 'Tel Aviv', occupied Palestine, Thursday, March 30, 2023 (AP)

Israeli Channel 12 reported, citing an Israeli official, that the United States and Iran are in talks to return to the JCPOA agreement signed back in 2015, but then nullified during the Trump administration.

Channel 12's political affairs commentator added that a senior political official informed him that the occupation Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was not invited by Biden to Washington to avoid talks about Iran, saying it was not the judicial overhaul that denied Netanyahu a visit to Washington but rather that the Americans didn't want to discuss Iran with him.

The source added that the US president wants to distance Netanyahu as much as possible from the talks taking place between the Americans and Iran.

The political correspondent on Channel 13 also indicated that the cabinet is expected to prepare for a "discussion maneuver", whereby the ministers are supposed to discuss the various Israeli activities, regarding the Iranian issue or concerning the northern arena, next Sunday.

Earlier this week, Israeli media reported that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken canceled a scheduled visit to "Israel". Israeli Channel 13 reported that Blinken "was supposed to make a quick visit to Israel as part of a visit to the region, but he decided to cancel".

Israeli media also quoted a senior politician saying that Blinken's cancellation of the scheduled visit comes at a very" inauspicious time".

"The cancellation may be a technical one, but its inauspicious timing cannot be disregarded," the senior Israeli politician was quoted saying. He hypothesized that the Americans are trying to dodge discussions about the Iranian nuclear deal until after the elections.