With the unstoppable attacks of Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the Middle East is on the brink of another war at a time when the Biden administration is seeking to bring Iran back to the Obama-era nuclear deal.
Israel and Iran have a history of engaging in clandestine operations against each other.
This time the Natanz attack on the Iranian nuclear facilities has left everyone in shock, where authorities in the Islamic Republic blame Israel for the operation.
Most often, the United States remained involved in the operations inclining toward Israel, as Iran is a common rival of both.
But this time, the United States is prohibiting itself from the direct military confrontation with Iran, which seems to be a promising sign for the future of bilateral relations.
The new wave of attacks on Iran also evinces that Israel has a strong network inside Iran, and Iran is incapable of breaking it.
As Iran names Reza Karimi as an alleged suspect of the supposedly Israeli-led attack, the tensions are high in the Middle East.
Israel has already warned about sending warplanes to Iran amid the ongoing nuclear talks, which is a fair sign to worry for the United States as well.
What are the possible options left for the United States to bring both Israel and Iran onboard? Let’s see.
Diplomatic Teams in Washington Ready to Heal Israel and Iran Relations
As the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, meets high-profile officials of Mossad, an Israeli spy agency, Israel has shown “deep concerns” to the United States about Iran’s nuclear regimes.
The prevailing talks between the United States and Israel are not limited to Antoney Blinken only. In fact, Washington is the hub of nuclear diplomacy these days, as Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Adviser, also met with his Israeli counterpart.
Israel has portrayed its “freedom to operate” against Iran. This statement depicts Israel’s will to take military actions against Iran if Iran does not comply with curbing its nuclear activity in the region.
It is also pertinent to note here that currently, Israel is pressuring the United States to impose more sweeping restrictions on Iran than what the US wants to set right now.
While the US is not taking military actions against Iran, unlike Israel, it seems that the United States is about to succumb to Israeli pressure and ready to put sweeping restrictions against Iran. A US State Department spokesperson said,
“Even if we rejoin the JCPOA – which remains a hypothetical – we would retain and continue to implement sanctions on Iran for activities not covered by the JCPOA, including Iran’s missile proliferation, support for terrorism, and human rights abuses.”
(US State Department Spokesperson)
Imposing restrictions beyond JCPOA will do more harm than good for the overall development of the United States and Iran relations.
First, it will warn Iran not to get back to JCPOA. Secondly, Iran will continue concentrating its nuclear facilities, ultimately creating the potential for a war in the region.
Only a step-by-step approach is bound to work for the nuclear diplomacy that has failed under the Trump administration.
Stopping the Guns: The Only Option to Normalize the Relations
As Donald Trump unilaterally backed off the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, Iran is under no obligation to comply with the United States wishes, which at times can be driven by the Israeli agenda.
This way, the threat of a face-off between Israel and Iran is at an all-time high, considering no country is ready to compromise on the proceedings.
It is in the best interest of the United States to stop the Israeli attacks on the Iranian facilities at the earliest convenience so that the situation will not deteriorate further.
Only stopping the guns will open the doors of negotiations between the regional foes that are leaving no stone unturned to destroy each other.
Final Thoughts
If the US bows against Israeli pressure and pushes Iran for more ambitious restrictions, it can result in further chaos.
Instead of dreaming of a more ambitious plan, returning to the 2015 deal should be the focus to rebuild trust and ease down the tensions.
Further restrictions right away will act as fuel on the fire, which will not bring things towards normalcy.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.