US signals key shift on Iran in line with Israel

YAIR Lapid got what he wanted out of his recent Washington visit: the word “every” instead of “other”.

During Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s first meeting with President Joe Biden in August, Bennett was happy with what he heard: the American President, despite his desire to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, said that if Iran does not engage in good faith diplomacy with the nations involved, the US would consider “other options” in getting Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions.

It was a sign that Israel and US Democrats, long far apart in their opinions on how to best contain Iran, were coming closer together.

Lapid, on his official trip as Foreign Minister in Washington, pushed things along even further.

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, said “every” option was on the table if Iran does not engage in a good faith effort to negotiate the US reentry into the deal.

It was one of those blink-and-you-miss-it moments in diplomacy, but it had significant weight. According to insiders, “other options” can be seen as referring to enhanced sanctions, or other non-military forms of pressure.

“Every option” means military action may be on the table as well.

“We will look at every option to deal with the challenge posed by Iran,” Blinken said at a press conference called to announce initiatives that would advance the Abraham Accords. “We continue to believe that diplomacy is the most effective way to do that, but it takes two to engage in diplomacy, and we have not seen from Iran a willingness to do that at this point.”

Blinken made the statement flanked by Lapid and the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The foreign ministers were together to announce new Abraham Accords initiatives, but the symbolism of Blinken’s stronger language in the company of two of the Middle East nations who feel Iran’s threat most sharply was unmistakable.

A senior Israeli official told reporters after the meetings that the Israeli and US delegations discussed Iran extensively behind closed doors. “While there may not have been agreement, there was the discussion of options that have not been on the table previously,” said the official.

Along with Bennett, Lapid has spearheaded the effort to repair Israel’s ties with the Democratic Party, which were corroded during the 12 years Benjamin Netanyahu was prime minister.

Netanyahu has accused Bennett and Lapid of showing weakness by not more robustly opposing the Biden administration’s efforts to reenter the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which former president Donald Trump left in 2018 at Netanyahu’s behest.

Bennett and Lapid’s strategy appeared to pay dividends during Lapid’s 48 hours in Washington. The Biden administration, frustrated with the new hard-line Iranian government elected this summer, is edging closer to Israel’s posture.

“Despite the fact that we’ve made abundantly clear over the last nine months that we are prepared to return to full compliance with the JCPOA if Iran does the same, what we are seeing – or maybe more accurately not seeing from Tehran now – suggests that they’re not,” Blinken said.

“I’m not going to put a specific date on it, but with every passing day and Iran’s refusal to engage in good faith, the runway gets short.”

Lapid culled other dividends from his visit. The Biden administration showed itself fully committed to cultivating the Abraham Accords, one of the few areas of agreement it has with the Trump administration. Blinken at the press conference announced the launch of two working groups comprising Israeli, US and Emirati officials, one tackling religious intolerance and the other fostering cooperation on water and energy.

Lapid also met with World Bank officials to discuss plans to seek investors for infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip as a means of lifting the standard of living in the poverty-stricken enclave, while limiting the influence of Hamas.

Lapid also met with Vice-President Kamala Harris, and with Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives. In a brief appearance for reporters, Pelosi emphasised bipartisan support for Israel, a pointed rejection of the calls by progressives within her party to cut funding to the country.

On the US side, Blinken said Biden has been “clear that a two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state, living in peace alongside a viable, sovereign, and democratic Palestinian state”.

Bennett has said that a Palestinian state will not arise on his watch, while Lapid has been less clear on the issue.

Blinken did not refrain from mentioning points of contention.

“We’ll be moving forward with the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening those ties with the Palestinians,” he said, although the Israeli government is on the record as opposing it.

Ron Kampeas is the bureau chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.