Report: US starting to understand that Iran uninterested in reaching agreement

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) will meet Monday with the US special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley.

Mali is leading a multi-agency delegation from the US. According to Israel Hayom, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has decided not to meet him, in order to send the message that Israel opposes the US policy of reaching a new agreement with Iran. However, in addition to Lapid, Mali will meet senior officials in Israel’s Foreign Ministry, National Security Council, and defense echelon.

Mali is expected to present the US’ reasons for a new agreement with Iran, while the Israelis will express their staunch opposition to any agreement with the Ayatollahs, demanding that the US increase sanctions against them.

According to Israel Hayom, despite the US goal of reaching an agreement at almost any price, the sides will also discuss the possibility that an agreement will not be reached.

In recent months, the administration has slowly begun to internalize that the chance of reaching an agreement with Iran is not high, and that its sole reason for agreeing to talks is to gain time. For this reason, the US and its allies, including Israel, have begun to “flex their muscles,” holding several military exercises and publishing them.

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At the same time, Israel is still working to convince the US to take a harsher stance more quickly, and that is what will be discussed in the meetings.

Iran’s willingness to renew the Vienna talks gave the US hope for a new agreement, but the administration understands that an agreement is not certain, and is therefore preparing for a scenario in which no agreement will be reached. Israel intends to suggest several ideas for what to do in such a scenario, and central among those suggestions is an increase in sanctions on Iran. At the same time, Israel has emphasized that it reserves for itself the right to act independently, if it feels a need to do so.

The Vienna talks on a new nuclear agreement are expected to begin at the end of November. Israel is certain that Iran’s agreement to return to the table is intended to buy time, and that the country does not actually intend to return to the 2015 agreement or reach a new agreement.