Iran nuclear talks hit snags; Israel unhappy
JERUSALEM — The long-delayed resumption of nuclear talks with Iran has gotten off to a rough start — with Iran digging in and its negotiating partners openly voicing frustration and pessimism.
After five days of talks in Vienna ended last week, the United States said Iran did not appear to be serious. European diplomats accused Iran of backtracking on previous promises. Even Russia, which has stronger relations with Iran, questioned Iran’s commitment to the process. Israel, an outside observer with a stake in the outcome of the talks, has ramped up its rhetoric and is dispatching two top security officials to Washington for consultations.
“I call on every country negotiating with Iran in Vienna to take a strong line and make it clear to Iran that they cannot enrich uranium and negotiate at the same time,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday. “Iran must begin to pay a price for its violations.”
Perhaps the most encouraging outcome of last week’s talks was an agreement to continue talking. When negotiators reconvene in coming days, it could become clearer if the wide gaps visible last week were a sign of posturing or a serious crisis.
The negotiations seek to revive the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers. That agreement, spearheaded by former President Barack Obama, granted Iran relief from crippling sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
But three years later, former President Donald Trump, with strong encouragement from then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, withdrew from the deal, causing it to unravel. Since then, Iran has stepped up its nuclear activities — amassing a stockpile of highly enriched uranium that goes well beyond the bounds of the accord.
Iran last week took a hard stance, suggesting everything discussed in previous rounds of diplomacy could be renegotiated.
A senior U.S. State Department official said over the weekend negotiators had expected Iran to “show seriousness” at the talks. He said even Russia and China, important trading outlets for Iran that have traditionally taken a softer line, were concerned about the prospects for a deal.
“Every day that goes by is a day where we come closer to the conclusion that they don’t have in mind a return” to the deal, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief reporters on the U.S. assessment.
European negotiators also expressed frustration. In a joint statement, senior diplomats from Germany, Britain and France said Iran has “fast-forwarded its nuclear program” and “backtracked on diplomatic progress.”
Mikhail Ulyanov, a senior Russian diplomat in Vienna, said Iran had offered a “radical revision” of previous understandings.
On Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a nine-page document that appeared to slightly step back from its tough positions.
“Other parties only need to show political determination and express readiness to take necessary practical steps,” the document read. “Then, ways will be opened for the conclusion of a deal and settlement of differences.”
Bennett said Israel was using the time between rounds to persuade the Americans to “use a different toolkit” against Iran’s nuclear program, without elaborating.
The head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, David Barnea, was traveling to Washington on Sunday, and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, a former military chief, heads there later this week.
Israel’s figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, delivered an uncharacteristically blunt message Sunday as he welcomed the new American ambassador to Israel, Thomas Nides.
“If the international community does not take a vigorous stance on this issue, Israel will do so. Israel will protect itself,” Herzog said.