Israel's FM Yair Lapid says Iran has no intention of rejoining 2015 nuclear deal

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Monday, 15 November, reiterated his country’s position on Iran’s nuclear accord and stated that Islamic Republic has no intention of actually returning the deal, which the US pulled out of in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. According to The Times of Israel, Lapid met with Rob Malley, the US special envoy on Iran, on Monday and told him that Israel still believes that Iran is simply trying to buy time with negotiations over its nuclear program until the issue of rejoining the 2015 deal is no longer relevant. 

It is to mention that Israel’s foreign minister’s remarks come as the United States is working to coordinate with Mideast allies before the resumption of indirect talks with Tehran, aimed at reviving their multilateral nuclear accord. Malley is currently on a 10-day tour of the Middle East with stops in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The US envoy landed in Israel on Monday. But Israel reiterated its stance and said that it opposes the US efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

It is to mention that just before upcoming nuclear talks with the West, the Israeli Air Force is expected to resume practising for a strike on Iran’s nuclear facility, Times of Israel reported. Earlier this year, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi had announced that he had instructed the military to begin drawing up fresh attack plans for a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Last month, the Israeli government also reportedly allocated billions of shekels toward making those plans visible. 

Iran 2015 nuclear deal 

Meanwhile, Iran is ready to reach a “good agreement” on the nuclear issue at negotiations due to get underway in Vienna later this month. Due to the signing of the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran drastically reduced the enrichment of uranium in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. However, the deal signed during former US President Barack Obama administration did not last for too long as his successor Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the deal and reimposed the crippling sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Trump’s 2018 move resulted in an increase in tensions in the Middle East with Tehran breaching its limits on uranium enrichment set under the deal.

(Image: AP/TWITTER)