The White House announced that US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid - yesterday, Wednesday - that the United States will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, in light of Tehran's pursuit of stronger guarantees from Washington to revive the nuclear agreement with world powers.
The White House said - in a statement - "The President stressed the commitment of the United States to never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon," during a call in which he also discussed with Lapid "the threats posed by Iran."
Lapid's office said - in its own statement regarding the two leaders' call - that they "spoke at length about negotiations on concluding a nuclear agreement, and their joint commitment to preventing Iran's progress toward acquiring a nuclear weapon."
He pointed out that the two presidents "discussed at length the negotiations conducted by the great powers on the nuclear agreement with Iran, and the various efforts that are being exerted to stop Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons."
The statement also indicated that "the two leaders discussed the latest developments and terrorist activities practiced by Iran in the Middle East and beyond."
self-defense
"In this context, the Prime Minister (Lapid) congratulated the American president on the recent raids launched by the United States in Syria," he said, explaining that the two presidents agreed on Israel's right to "defend itself."
Israel is leading the "last minute" attack, as some describe it, in an attempt to persuade Western countries not to revive the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) that was concluded in 2015, and the United States withdrew from it after 3 years under former President Donald Trump.
Lapid said - during a meeting with the foreign press in Jerusalem last week - that Western powers should "stop" negotiations, because the deal would earn Iran "billions" of dollars and "destabilize" the Middle East.
The head of the foreign intelligence service (Mossad) is scheduled to travel to Washington next week to discuss the Iranian nuclear program, after a visit by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and the National Security Adviser, for the same goal.
The Israel Today newspaper also reported that Lapid plans to visit Germany on September 11-12, in order to discuss the issue of concessions on key issues related to restoring the Iranian nuclear agreement.
Lapid is expected to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and inform him of Tel Aviv's objection to the nuclear agreement that has begun to take shape with Iran, and to the continuation of European and US talks with Tehran.
In particular, Israel fears that lifting economic sanctions on Iran as part of an agreement on its nuclear program will allow it to increase its support for regional allies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and pro-Iranian armed elements in Syria and Yemen.
The breakdown of negotiations
Israel opposes returning to the 2015 agreement, and its revival seemed imminent last March, but indirect talks between Tehran and Washington collapsed due to several issues, including Tehran's insistence that the International Atomic Energy Agency close its investigations into the effects of uranium found in 3 undisclosed locations before reviving the nuclear agreement.
It is noteworthy that both Biden and Lapid signed a joint pledge last July to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, in an expression of unity between the two long-divided allies regarding diplomatic efforts with Tehran, but Lapid said a few days ago that if the agreement was revived Nuclear power, Israel will not be bound by it.