The Biden administration is poised to ratchet up the pressure on Iran under the working assumption that the talks to restore the nuclear deal are no longer of any viability, Israel Hayom has exclusively learned following a conversation between US Secretary of State Atony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.
During the conversation, during which Blinken congratulated his newly minted counterpart, the former confirmed President Joe Biden's assessment that the 2015 pact with Iran could not be revived, echoing Biden's leaked remarks from November in which he told activists that the "deal is dead."
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Blinken added that the administration was likely to seek the EU to join the effort to up the sanctions on Iran. Cohen welcomed this and reiterated Israel's view that the pressure on Iran should be increased and that the US should not re-enter the accord, from which President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018. Although Iran stayed in the deal, as have other participants, it has all but ceased to exist and Iran has breached many of its provisions, reaching ever-closer to the necessary amount of highly enriched uranium for a bomb.
The secretary also reiterated the Biden administration's commitment to the two-state solution, although there was no agreement on this matter with Cohen. Blinken and Cohen discussed various issues without going into detail, and the US chief diplomat did not mention settlement construction in Judea and Samaria. They also discussed the Abraham Accords and the potential addition of another state that currently doesn't have relations with Israel to the peace pact, which has so far included four Arab nations. The two agreed that the Negev Forum of the Abraham Accords' foreign ministers should reconvene in Morocco in March.
The two, who conversed for about 40 minutes, agreed that it was doubtful Saudi Arabia would join the forum at this point, and therefore the focus would be on having African states with no official ties to Israel join the Morocco meeting. The conversation lasted for 40 minutes, and the two agreed to meet in the near future.
Blinken will likely visit Israel toward the end of January. On Twitter, Blinken said he "Congratulated FM @elicoh1 on his appointment. Based on our strong commitment to Israel's security and long-held values, together we can advance shared interests and confront mutual challenges. We strongly support a two-state solution and oppose anything endangering its viability."
The State Department's official statement said:" Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to congratulate him on his appointment and underscore the United States' abiding commitment to the US-Israel partnership and to Israel's security. Secretary Blinken discussed continued US efforts to advance mutual interests such as Israel's further regional integration, including through the Negev Forum; address shared challenges, including the threat from Iran; and promote the values that have been at the heart of the bilateral relationship for decades. The Secretary emphasized the continued US commitment to a two-state solution and opposition to policies that endanger its viability.
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