Israel, US Agree to Consult With Each Other on Iran Decisions

Gabi Ashkenazi said Israel has good relations with the new administration and is thankful Biden has not returned to the JCPOA

On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the US and Israel agreed that neither country would make decisions on Iran policy and the nuclear deal without consulting with the other first.

Israel is strongly opposed to a US return to the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA. While President Biden said he favors a revival of the agreement, so far, his administration has not made a sincere effort to return to it, something Ashkenazi said he was pleased about.

“If anyone thought the Americans would run to make an agreement with Iran — it did not happen up until now, and I hope it will not happen going forward,” he said. Ashkenazi said that Israeli relations with the new Biden administration are good and that he has maintained close contact with his US counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Ashkenazi explained that senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, decided to approach the Biden administration on Iran in a “non-oppositional” manner. “Our policy is to exhaust this dialogue in person and to professionally converse with the Americans as allies,” he said.

The US and Iran have reportedly begun Iran discussions through a forum known as the “working group” which is led by each country’s national security advisor.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.