Lapid in a message to the White House: the draft nuclear agreement does not meet the red lines established by Biden

The prime minister met today with a senior American official and the US ambassador to Israel, and made it clear that following the Iranian demands for additional concessions, it is time to end the negotiations.

"Anything else sends the Iranians a strong message of weakness," Lapid said.

The National Security Adviser will go to Washington next week for talks on Iran

Barak Ravid

08/18/2022

Thursday, August 18, 2022, 6:15 p.m. Updated: 6:59 p.m.

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In the video: Biden and Lapid meet privately to discuss political issues (photo: Government Press Office)

Prime Minister Yair Lapid delivered a message to the White House today (Thursday), according to which the draft nuclear agreement that the European Union delivered to Iran last week does not meet the red lines to which the Biden administration committed, a senior political official said in a press briefing.

why is it important

• Lapid's message comes against the background of the feeling in Israel that President Biden and White House officials are not fully aware of all the concessions included in the draft agreement that the European Union forwarded to Iran.

• Through the messages that are conveyed to the Americans through silent channels as well as in public, Israel is trying to influence the crucial discussions that are taking place these days in the White House regarding the possibility of returning to the nuclear agreement.

"The draft agreement does not meet its terms."

Biden (Photo: Reuters)

In the news center

• Lapid met today with Democratic Congressman Ted Deutsch, Chairman of the Middle East Subcommittee in the American House of Representatives, and with the United States Ambassador to Israel, Tom Neides, and discussed with them the negotiations that are taking place on the European Union draft.

• The senior political official said that Lapid's message is that the European Union's draft agreement, which was defined as a final proposal, does not comply with the principles that the Americans themselves committed to and includes greater concessions for Iran than in the original nuclear agreement.

• Lapid told Congressman Deutsch and American Ambassador Neides that when the draft agreement was sent to the Iranians, it was said that it was a "take it or leave it" proposal.

  However, when the Iranians returned an answer, they did not accept it, but demanded additional concessions.

• "In the current situation, it's time to get up and walk away from the negotiating table. Anything else sends the Iranians a strong message of weakness. Now is the time to sit down and talk about what to do next (in the absence of an agreement) to prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons," said Lapid.

• The Prime Minister emphasized during the meeting that Israel is not bound by the agreement if it is signed and will do what is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and also to prevent Iran from using its terrorist affiliates in the region.

  "The United States knows this and acknowledges it," Lapid said.

• In the meeting, Lapid referred to the fact that the European draft includes a clause, according to which the United States and the other powers will support the closing of the International Atomic Energy Agency's investigations against Iran, if the director general of the agency makes it clear that Iran has given satisfactory answers.

• He noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency's report from the end of May states that Iran does not provide reliable explanations for the issue of the open investigations against it regarding uranium remains found at suspicious sites in the country.

  Lapid noted that this is something "that should turn on a bright red light for the international community."

More in Walla!

Senior Israeli official: Iran is getting closer to a new nuclear deal and is preparing public opinion for such a scenario

To the full article

What next

• Next week, National Security Advisor Eyal Hulta will go to Washington and hold talks with his counterpart in the White House, Jake Sullivan, regarding the nuclear agreement.

  A senior political official stated that the message delivered to the White House was intended to prepare the ground for Hulta's talks.

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Tags

• Yair Lapid

• Joe Biden

• United States