Tehran's announcement that it began enriching uranium using advanced centrifuges was another step in the extortion campaign that it has been conducting in recent months vis-à-vis the United States. This is another violation of the 2015 nuclear deal, following Iran's accumulation of far more enriched uranium than it is allowed under the current deal.
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This action has only one purpose: blackmail. Iran's very obvious intent is to make the US anxious enough to re-enter the nuclear accord from which former President Donald Trump pulled while lifting the sanctions crippling the Iranian economy.
Tehran Iran feels confident not only because Washington clearly intends to resume nuclear talks, but also given its 25-year strategic partnership deal with China and the fact that is has been able to increase its oil sales despite the sanctions.
While the latest installation of advanced centrifuges in Natanz has been explained as something marking Nuclear Technology Day, but it's no coincident that this was pursued in the first week of the indirect preliminary talks with the Americans, "positive" as they may have been described.
Iran seeks to make it clear to the US that it means what it says and has no intention of backing down and this is an all-or-nothing situation: either everyone agrees to the terms of the 2015 deal and the sanctions are lifted – or all bets are off.
Ostensibly, the Americans have no reason to be alarmed by the recent Iranian moves. Although each of such step brings Iran closer to military nuclear capabilities, experts on both sides of the Atlantic agree that it is still far from a bomb, and in any case – all the steps it has taken can be reversed rather immediately. The uranium that Iran has accumulated can be taken from it, as was the case under the original nuclear agreement, and advanced centrifuges can be dismantled.
The only element that cannot be taken away is the knowledge gained, which may be used in the future.
Still, Washington seems eager to bring this matter to a close. Instead of the noose remaining on Iran's neck, suffocating its economy, for some reason, it is the Americans who feel pressured.
This is bad news for Israel, which believes that the original agreement was bad, and at least requires significant changes – h especially with regards to its expiration date, as well as oversight of research and development.
The political chaos in Israel makes it difficult to pursue orderly policy in the matter, but senior officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Mossad Director Yossi Cohen, and Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Tamir Hayman are slated to visit Washington over the next few weeks, in an effort to influence the administration to toughen its positions in the renewed negotiations with Tehran.
Israeli officials will also broach the subject in their meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is slated to visit Israel this week. Austin will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, as well as with top defense officials.
It is unclear how effective the Israeli pressure will be, if at all, but the effort must be made nonetheless. Several moves made by the Biden administration in recent weeks are causing concern in Jerusalem, but on the other hand, senior administration officials have promised to "be attentive" to the Israeli position.
Although the cards Israel is holding are less favorable than those in Trump's time, there is plenty of time to try and convince the US that Iran's word is hollow given its track record of serial breaches of agreements and commitments and that there is no reason to believe it will not continue to do so in the future.
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