Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid left for Germany on Sunday in his latest diplomatic attempt to persuade Western powers to abandon a nuclear deal with Iran.
Israel has long opposed a relaunch of the 2015 deal, which has been doomed to failure since US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018 and re-imposed harsh sanctions on Tehran.
The momentum that has been building over the past month towards a restored deal appears to have slowed after the three European nations involved in the deal – Germany, France and Britain – expressed “serious doubts” about its sincerity on Saturday of Iran in restoring the deal.
Meeting with his cabinet ahead of his flight to Berlin, Lapid thanked those three powers for the “strong position” they expressed in a tripartite statement on Saturday.
Those powers accused Tehran of “choosing not to take this crucial diplomatic opportunity,” adding that “Iran is instead escalating its nuclear program well beyond any plausible civilian justification.”
Lapid told his cabinet that “Israel is conducting a successful diplomatic campaign to stop the nuclear deal and prevent the lifting of sanctions on Iran.
“It’s not over yet,” he added. “There is still a long way to go, but there are encouraging signs.”
An Israeli diplomat, who requested anonymity, told AFP that Iran will be the focus of talks when the delegation lands in Berlin.
“It is important to continue to coordinate positions and influence the European position. Germany plays an important role in this,” the official said.
Lapid, who was traveling with senior security officials, is scheduled to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier before returning to Israel late Monday.
The 2015 accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbing its nuclear program.
Negotiations, ongoing in Vienna since April 2021, aim to restore the deal by lifting sanctions on Tehran and urging Iran to fully honor its previous nuclear commitments.
Last month, the European Union, which is acting as the facilitator of the talks, presented a “final” draft of the deal.
Iran and the US then took turns responding to the text, with Washington saying on Friday Tehran’s response was a “step backwards”.
