Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced that his country was conducting an intensive campaign to prevent the signing of a “dangerous nuclear agreement” between Iran and major powers.
Addressing a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Lapid announced that the director of the Mossad, David Barnea, would head to Washington on Monday to hold a series of meetings aimed at presenting Israel’s position to the US administration about the risks that lie within a nuclear agreement with Iran.
Barnea will be the third Israeli official to visit the US capital in two weeks, after Defense Minister Benny Gantz and National Security Adviser Eyal Holata.
Lapid had a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden, on Wednesday, about negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program.
In a statement, the premier’s office said that the two officials spoke at length about negotiations on a nuclear agreement, and shared commitment to preventing Iran’s progress toward acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Israel is particularly concerned that lifting economic sanctions on Iran, as part of an agreement on its nuclear program, will allow it to increase its support for regional proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and pro-Iranian armed factions in Syria or Yemen.
In remarks last month, the Israeli premier said that the new version of the nuclear deal would give Iran $100 billion annually, which would be used by Iranian-backed armed groups.
Israel has repeatedly declared its opposition to efforts to revive the nuclear deal. It reserved the right to take military action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Tehran, which has continually denied its desire to develop nuclear arms, has warned of a “crushing” response to any Israeli attack.
US Boeing said on Friday, that the Israeli army would receive in the next few years four advanced Boeing KC-46A air refueling aircraft in a contract worth $927 million, which would be financed through US aid to Israel.
The military aircraft is designed to transport equipment and to refuel by air, and is described by the manufacturer as the most advanced in the world. Israeli media reported that the army requested delivery of the planes in a shorter period, and that it might use them in case of an attack against Iran.
Meanwhile, Israeli Haaretz reported that Israeli officials continue to use many tactics in an attempt to disrupt the nuclear agreement, adding that they were not sure whether Tehran’s request to end the International Atomic Energy Agency’s probes “could lead to the collapse of negotiations.”
An official told the newspaper that although the agreement appeared to be dying, the announcement of its death was still a long way off.
“There are many parties interested in this agreement, and they will try to revive it in the coming period,” Haaretz quoted the official as saying.
Another official said that the negotiations “may be postponed until after the midterm elections of the US Congress in November.” Israeli sources said that postponing the agreement until the midterm elections “is in Israel’s interest,” noting that the Republicans’ victory with a large majority in Congress would complicate the US president’s task to obtain the needed support to pass and ratify the agreement.
