On November 29 the talks resume in Vienna on a return to the nuclear deal, with the US participating behind the scenes as before due to Iran's refusal to engage in direct contact with it. Despite skepticism about Iran's willingness to return to the agreement, European states and the US continue to see a diplomatic solution as the best option. To prevent disruption of this round of talks, they refrained from advancing a resolution against Iran during the IAEA Board of Governors meeting, following two scathing reports against Iran. Nonetheless, both the Europeans and the US issued two sharp statements against Tehran during the conference, stating, inter alia, that Iran’s conduct violates the NPT and not just the nuclear agreement. The United States has also stressed that if Iran does not return immediately to cooperate with the IAEA, the Board of Governors will have “to reconvene in extraordinary session” before the end of 2021 to take a decision on the matter.
Iran, for its part, reiterates that the main purpose of the Vienna talks will be to discuss Washington's return to the agreement, i.e., the removal of sanctions and, by implication, will not currently discuss its demands regarding the nuclear program. Accordingly, the Iranian delegation that arrived in Vienna includes the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank and the Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, as well as other figures related to economic matters.
The opening of the round of talks in Vienna is accompanied by public Israeli criticism and briefings to the media by Israeli officials who express great concern about the policy of the US administration. For its part, the administration is using the American media to emphasize that it cautioned Israel that its attempts in recent months to harm the Iranian project not only did not achieve their goal, but were used by the regime as an excuse to increase and expand its nuclear activities.
As part of the discussion with the United States, which should be conducted in closed rooms, it is recommended that Israel, instead of opposing a return to the agreement, focus on important demands, such as conducting talks with Iran only in the event of an Iranian halt in the nuclear program. The current US administration is attentive to the needs of Israel and is interested in a dialogue with it, and the impression is that the administration’s positions can be influenced. An agreement with Iran will not address all of Israel's concerns, but is preferable to a reality in which Iran continues to advance its nuclear program, without the international community and Israel currently having effective leverage to stop it.
On November 29 the talks resume in Vienna on a return to the nuclear deal, with the US participating behind the scenes as before due to Iran's refusal to engage in direct contact with it. Despite skepticism about Iran's willingness to return to the agreement, European states and the US continue to see a diplomatic solution as the best option. To prevent disruption of this round of talks, they refrained from advancing a resolution against Iran during the IAEA Board of Governors meeting, following two scathing reports against Iran. Nonetheless, both the Europeans and the US issued two sharp statements against Tehran during the conference, stating, inter alia, that Iran’s conduct violates the NPT and not just the nuclear agreement. The United States has also stressed that if Iran does not return immediately to cooperate with the IAEA, the Board of Governors will have “to reconvene in extraordinary session” before the end of 2021 to take a decision on the matter.
Iran, for its part, reiterates that the main purpose of the Vienna talks will be to discuss Washington's return to the agreement, i.e., the removal of sanctions and, by implication, will not currently discuss its demands regarding the nuclear program. Accordingly, the Iranian delegation that arrived in Vienna includes the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank and the Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, as well as other figures related to economic matters.
The opening of the round of talks in Vienna is accompanied by public Israeli criticism and briefings to the media by Israeli officials who express great concern about the policy of the US administration. For its part, the administration is using the American media to emphasize that it cautioned Israel that its attempts in recent months to harm the Iranian project not only did not achieve their goal, but were used by the regime as an excuse to increase and expand its nuclear activities.
As part of the discussion with the United States, which should be conducted in closed rooms, it is recommended that Israel, instead of opposing a return to the agreement, focus on important demands, such as conducting talks with Iran only in the event of an Iranian halt in the nuclear program. The current US administration is attentive to the needs of Israel and is interested in a dialogue with it, and the impression is that the administration’s positions can be influenced. An agreement with Iran will not address all of Israel's concerns, but is preferable to a reality in which Iran continues to advance its nuclear program, without the international community and Israel currently having effective leverage to stop it.