JERUSALEM: The head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency will visit the United States in early September for talks on the possible revival of the Iran nuclear deal, an official said Sunday.
The announced visit is the latest in the Jewish state’s push to sway Western powers from a deal to return to the landmark 2015 deal with Tehran.
Israel says a deal would facilitate the funding of Iran-supported militants, while not preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon — a goal Iran has always denied.
Mossad chief David Barnea will “be visiting Washington in a week to participate in closed door meetings in Congress on the Iran deal,” a senior Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity, without providing further details.
Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that Israel’s “diplomatic fight” against the deal included its national security adviser and defense minister holding recent meetings in the United States.
“We are making a concerted effort to ensure the Americans and Europeans understand the dangers involved in this agreement,” Lapid said, stressing what was signed in 2015 was “not a good deal,” and that the one currently being formulated entails “greater dangers.”
In 2018, then-US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
His successor Joe Biden has sought to return to the deal, and after almost a year-and-a-half of talks, recent progress has put the Jewish state on edge.
According to Lapid, a new agreement would have to include an expiration date, and tighter supervision that would also “address Iran’s ballistic missile program and its involvement in terrorism throughout the Middle East.”
“We can reach such an agreement if a credible military threat is put on the table, if the Iranians realize that their defiance and deceit will exact a heavy price,” Lapid said, adding that the army and Mossad had “received instructions from us to prepare for any scenario.”
On Wednesday, Lapid said a new deal would “give Iran $100 billion a year” that would be used by Iran-backed militant groups Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, and noted he was holding talks with the leadership of Britain, France and Germany on the issue.
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Israeli spy chief to meet US officials on Iran deal
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Israeli spy chief to meet US officials on Iran deal
- Israel says a deal would facilitate the funding of Iran-supported militants
- According to Lapid, a new agreement would have to include an expiration date
Trump, Erdogan discuss Syria and Gaza in call
WASHINGTON/ ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed developments in Syria and Gaza with US counterpart Donald Trump in a telephone call on Tuesday as Syria’s Turkiye-backed government announced a ceasefire with US-allied Kurdish forces after days of clashes.
Turkiye separately weighed if Erdogan should join the US leader’s “Board of Peace” initiative.
“President Erdogan stated that Turkiye was closely following developments in Syria, that Syria’s unity, harmony and territorial integrity were important for Turkiye,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
Earlier Trump said he had a “very good call” with Erdogan, without elaborating.
Syria’s government seized swathes of territory in the northeast this week, and gave the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces four days to agree on integrating into the central state.
The SDF’s main ally, the United States, said the partnership with the group had changed nature after Syria’s new government emerged.
The Turkish presidency added that Erdogan and Trump also discussed the fight against the Islamic State militant group and the “situation” of its prisoners in Syrian jails.
Turkiye deems the SDF a terrorist organization linked with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has mounted a four-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
In its peace process with the PKK, Ankara has called for the group and its affilites to disband and disarm.
Ankara, the main foreign backer of Syria’s new government, has praised Damascus’ advances against the SDF and repeatedly called for it to integrate with the Syrian state apparatus.
ERDOGAN THANKS TRUMP FOR ‘BOARD OF PEACE’ INVITE
Erdogan told Trump Turkiye would continue to coordinate with Washington on Gaza, the Turkish presidency said.
“President Erdogan thanked US President Trump for the invitation to the Gaza Board of Peace,” it added.
A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the “Board of Peace” and countries working with it to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza.
In October, a fragile ceasefire began in Gaza under a Trump plan on which Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas had signed off.
Earlier on Tuesday, Turkiye said Erdogan would decide soon on joining the initiative. Turkiye has been critical of Israel’s assault on Gaza, casting it as genocide, while Israel has repeatedly opposed a Turkish role in Gaza.
More than 460 Palestinians, more than 100 of them children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since the Gaza truce began.
Under Trump’s Gaza plan, the board was meant to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. Later Trump said it would be expanded to tackle conflicts around the world.
Many rights experts say that Trump’s chairing of a board to supervise a foreign territory’s affairs would resemble a colonial structure.
Diplomats fear such a board for global issues could harm the work of the United Nations.
Among those the White House has named to the board are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Turkiye separately weighed if Erdogan should join the US leader’s “Board of Peace” initiative.
“President Erdogan stated that Turkiye was closely following developments in Syria, that Syria’s unity, harmony and territorial integrity were important for Turkiye,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
Earlier Trump said he had a “very good call” with Erdogan, without elaborating.
Syria’s government seized swathes of territory in the northeast this week, and gave the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces four days to agree on integrating into the central state.
The SDF’s main ally, the United States, said the partnership with the group had changed nature after Syria’s new government emerged.
The Turkish presidency added that Erdogan and Trump also discussed the fight against the Islamic State militant group and the “situation” of its prisoners in Syrian jails.
Turkiye deems the SDF a terrorist organization linked with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has mounted a four-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
In its peace process with the PKK, Ankara has called for the group and its affilites to disband and disarm.
Ankara, the main foreign backer of Syria’s new government, has praised Damascus’ advances against the SDF and repeatedly called for it to integrate with the Syrian state apparatus.
ERDOGAN THANKS TRUMP FOR ‘BOARD OF PEACE’ INVITE
Erdogan told Trump Turkiye would continue to coordinate with Washington on Gaza, the Turkish presidency said.
“President Erdogan thanked US President Trump for the invitation to the Gaza Board of Peace,” it added.
A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the “Board of Peace” and countries working with it to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza.
In October, a fragile ceasefire began in Gaza under a Trump plan on which Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas had signed off.
Earlier on Tuesday, Turkiye said Erdogan would decide soon on joining the initiative. Turkiye has been critical of Israel’s assault on Gaza, casting it as genocide, while Israel has repeatedly opposed a Turkish role in Gaza.
More than 460 Palestinians, more than 100 of them children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since the Gaza truce began.
Under Trump’s Gaza plan, the board was meant to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. Later Trump said it would be expanded to tackle conflicts around the world.
Many rights experts say that Trump’s chairing of a board to supervise a foreign territory’s affairs would resemble a colonial structure.
Diplomats fear such a board for global issues could harm the work of the United Nations.
Among those the White House has named to the board are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
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