Biden, Lapid finally discuss brewing Iran deal

August 31, 2022

The leaders reiterated their commitment to preventing Iran from achieving a nuclear bomb.

By Debbie Reiss, World Israel News

Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Joe Biden spoke on Wednesday about the nascent nuclear agreement with Iran, which the European Union’s foreign affairs chief said will be completed “within days.”

Biden and Lapid both reiterated their commitment to preventing Iran from achieving a nuclear bomb, according to a readout from the Prime Minister’s office. The two spoke “at length” about the negotiations surrounding the deal, the statement said, but did not elaborate further.

Lapid also welcomed U.S. efforts against “Iran’s terrorist activity in the Middle East and beyond,” and pointed to recent strikes ordered by Biden against Iranian militias in Syria, in which four Iranians were killed.

According to the EU’s Josep Borell, a new agreement was in its final touch up phase and could be signed between Iran and world powers in the coming days.

U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that “we’re closer” than ever to completing a deal.

In their call, Biden “emphasized his deep commitment to the security of the State of Israel, and to preserving Israel’s capability to deter its enemies and to defend itself by itself against any threat,” the PMO statement said.

According to Hebrew reports, the two leaders agreed that Israel will preserve the right to military action against Iran if needed.

Lapid has repeatedly stated in recent days that Israel will not be bound by the agreement, should it come to pass.

Lapid reportedly tried multiple times to organize the telephone conversation with Biden last week, only to be rebuffed with the excuse that the American president was “on vacation.”

Earlier this week, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said he would not be party to a nuclear deal if U.N. inspectors did not drop their investigation of undeclared nuclear sites. Raise also issued a threat to Israel against destroying Iran’s nuclear program, saying “we will see if anything from the Zionist regime will remain or not.”