US Tries to Reassure Israel on Potential Iran Deal, Says Agreement ‘Not Imminent’

Israeli officials say they're not reassured

The Biden administration has been trying to reassure Israel over a potential agreement to revive the Iran nuclear deal, Axios reported on Saturday.

The US is currently reviewing Iran’s response to an EU proposal to revive the deal. Reports have said the US has agreed to give “concessions” to Iran, a characterization that the Biden administration has strongly denied.

US officials told Axios that in recent communications with their Israeli counterparts, they have stressed Washington is not making concessions to Tehran and that while an agreement may be close, it is “not imminent.”

“A deal might be closer than it was two weeks ago but the outcome remains uncertain as some gaps remain. In any case, it doesn’t seem to be imminent,” a US official said of what the Biden administration has been telling Israel.

Israeli officials confirmed that there had been talks with the US over the issue but said their concerns hadn’t been eased. “We are not reassured. We are very concerned,” an Israeli official said.

Israeli National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata is headed to Washington and is expected to hold talks on Iran on Tuesday with his American counterpart, Jake Sullivan.

With the possibility of the US and Iran making a deal, Israeli officials are making their opposition known. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Monday that Israel will “work to bring” a potential nuclear deal “down.”

Israeli officials have always hinted at taking military action against Iran if the deal is revived, and Israel has previously carried out covert attacks inside Iran to sabotage negotiations between the US and Iran.

Author: Dave DeCamp

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