Israel’s Bennett to Biden: Don’t Return to Iran Nuclear Deal

The two leaders spoke by phone on Sunday

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told President Biden during a call on Sunday not to return to the Iran nuclear deal, an Israeli source told Axios on Wednesday.

The source said that Bennett told Biden that without a deal, there wouldn’t necessarily be an escalation in Iran’s nuclear program and said “nothing will happen if you don’t sign it.”

Israel is more concerned about the economic relief Iran would get under the nuclear deal, and Bennett said Tehran’s financial benefits would far outweigh any non-proliferation benefits.

The report said that Biden told Bennett it’s still “unclear” if an agreement with Iran will be reached. This week, as the nuclear deal negotiations resumed in Vienna, US officials said an agreement is “in sight” but are also warning time is running out.

On Monday, Bennett said that Biden told him the US supports Israel’s “freedom of action” against Iran whether a deal is made or not, signaling that Washington might back an Israeli attack on Iran.

Author: Dave DeCamp

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