Bennett to Reportedly Present Biden With Plan to Confront Iran Without Nuclear Deal

Israel has continuously voiced opposition to a possible revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), adamant in its confidence that Iran is close to developing a nuclear weapon - something that the Islamic republic denies.

At his first official meeting with the US president, scheduled for Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is expected to present Joe Biden with a plan to confront Iran that does not involve the revival of the JCPOA, The Times of Israel reported, citing a senior diplomatic source.

“The heart of the diplomatic discussion will deal with Iran,” the source said. "[...] There is no value to returning to the nuclear deal. We inherited an Iran that is working extremely aggressively and is empowering very negative forces in the region."

Bennett's plan will reportedly envisage both tackling Iran's nuclear program and regional activities without returning to the 2015 nuclear agreement, with the official cited by The TOI claiming that the deal gives Tehran too much in return.

The report also noted that "no major concessions to the Palestinians are expected to be announced" during Bennett's first overseas trip. In a statement envisaging the meeting, the White House said that it will be focused on “regional and global security, including Iran,” as well as “efforts to advance peace, security, and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians and the importance of working towards a more peaceful and secure future for the region.”

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem August 1, 2021.

© REUTERS / POOL

Israel has long been a vocal opponent of the restoration of the JCPOA - a nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany). Tel Aviv has been voicing allegations that Tehran is developing a nuclear weapon, with the Islamic republic repeatedly dismissing the claims, saying that its nuclear program remains exclusively peaceful.

Negotiations in Vienna in regard to a possible revival of the JCPOA, which the former US president, Donald Trump, unilaterally exited in 2018, began earlier in April, stalling later as Tehran welcomed a new administration. As Washington urges Tehran to return to the JCPOA nuclear obligations that it stepped away from after Trump exited the deal, the Islamic republic insists that the US must first lift its sanctions against the Middle Eastern nation.