Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid conveyed a message to the White House today in which he stressed that the draft EU agreement being discussed with Iran exceeds the limits of the 2015 nuclear agreement and does not meet the red lines of the Biden administration.

The Axios news website added that Lapid said that the latest IAEA report stated that Iran does not provide credible explanations regarding investigations related to uranium particles located at several undeclared sites in the country, considering that because of this "it must be lifted." The red flag of the international community.

Axios also said that Israel is now trying, through private conversations and public messages, to influence the critical discussions taking place these days within the Biden administration about whether to return to the nuclear deal based on the EU draft.

A senior Israeli diplomatic official also said that Lapid also spoke to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday to confirm Israel's position on the need to end efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal.

In addition to Schultz, the official said, Lapid spoke with Ted Deutch, chairman of the Middle East Committee of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, and Tom Nides, the US ambassador to Israel.

The head of Israel's National Security Council, Eyal Holata, is scheduled to travel to the United States next week for further talks.

Lapid is making political efforts to end efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal (Reuters)

American response

For its part, the US State Department said that it disagrees with Israel technically on the Iranian nuclear deal, while agreeing with it to prevent it from acquiring an atomic weapon.

"We have tactical differences with our Israeli partners regarding returning to the nuclear agreement with Iran," she added.

And US State Department spokesman Ned Price said earlier that his country is still studying the response to the proposals made by Iran to revive the nuclear agreement, noting that Washington is consulting with its European allies on the Iranian response, stressing that Washington was sincere in its commitment to the mutual return of the agreement.

Telephone conversation

On the other hand, Iranian sources said that the European draft to revive the nuclear agreement says that the majority of sanctions against Tehran will be lifted, while keeping some sanctions under different headings.

In a telephone conversation with his Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, in which they discussed the latest developments in the nuclear negotiations and regional issues, Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian said, "We appreciate Muscat's constructive role, which aims to lift sanctions and its efforts to bridge views," noting that "it is not possible to talk about an agreement." A good and permanent nuclear deal before all issues are agreed upon."

Abdullahian added that they engaged in the nuclear negotiations "in good faith and seriousness to reach a good and sustainable agreement," stressing that "after Washington's response to our proposals and respect for our red lines, we will enter a new phase."

Abdullahian (right) confirmed in a phone call with Al-Busaidi that Iran is waiting for Washington's response to Tehran's proposals regarding Iran's red lines (agencies)

Final draft text

This comes days after the European Union presented a draft "final" text aimed at saving the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement between Tehran and Washington, Paris, London, Berlin, Moscow and Beijing, which allowed the lifting of sanctions on Iran in exchange for reducing its nuclear activities and ensuring the peacefulness of its program.

The United States unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018 under former President Donald Trump, re-imposing harsh economic sanctions on Iran, which responded by gradually retreating from most of its commitments under the agreement.

Iran and the powers affiliated with the agreement began discussions to revive that agreement in April 2021 in Vienna, with the indirect participation of the United States, and with the facilitation of the European Union.

Although significant progress has been made in the negotiations, the talks were suspended last March, with points of disagreement remaining between Tehran and Washington, on which the stakeholders and mediators have not yet been able to bridge the gap.

Israel has repeatedly stated its opposition to efforts to revive the nuclear deal and has reserved what it sees as its right to take military action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Meanwhile, Iran, which has repeatedly denied its desire to develop a nuclear weapon, warned of a "crushing" response to any Israeli attack.