On Tuesday, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Ambassador to the US, stated that Israel may not be a part of the US’ Iran nuclear programme strategy if it rejoins the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Furthermore, we believe that if the US rejoins the same agreement, then it will lose all its leverage.
The remarks by the Israeli Ambassador come at a troublesome period when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has revived a tough Iran rhetoric while not having any contact with the new Biden administration, will be up for re-election in the legislative elections on 23 March.
The new Biden administration has indicated its will to return to the Iran nuclear deal, which the US had withdrawn from during the Trump administration, in 2018. Additionally, the US had re-implemented sanctions on Tehran. The current US administration has indicated that it will return to the JCPOA on the condition that Iran recommits to its obligations, under the deal. Washington also underlined that it wishes to confer with Middle Eastern allies on such a move.
Following the US’ withdrawal from the JCPOA under Trump, Iran began to drift from its commitments and bolstered its uranium enrichment program. In addition, it declared that it had begun the production of uranium metal. Recently, Iranian officials indicated that they may block the snap inspections of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) if the US does not return to its commitments, under the nuclear deal.
