‘Total American collapse’ before Iran in negotiations, say Israeli officials

The Americans have allegedly even accepted the idea of paying Iran compensation for the economic sanctions slapped on the country.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Israeli sources reports a  “total American collapse” before the Islamic Republic’s demands during negotiations in Vienna over returning to the 2015 nuclear deal, Israel Hayom reported Sunday.

According to information reaching Israel, the two sides are close to signing a deal to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Israel Hayom reports that after a mere 11 days of indirect talks in Vienna, the U.S. has decided not to demand that Iran dismantle the new centrifuges that it recently installed, which would have put its uranium-enrichment capability back to the point when the deal was first signed. Iran will only need to disconnect them.

The new centrifuges can separate uranium isotopes 50 times faster than the old designs and is a violation of the original accords.

On Friday, Iran also began enriching uranium far beyond the amount allowed in the deal, to an unprecedented 60%. This has been viewed as an additional pressure tactic by Iran in the negotiations, as it’s a short step to weapons-grade uranium.

President Joe Biden rejected pausing the negotiations as a result. “We are still talking,” he said.

Iranian negotiator Abbas Araqchi was pleased with the pace of the talks on Saturday, saying “a new understanding appears to be emerging,” and that “we believe that we’ve reached the point of formulating a draft understanding.”

The negotiators have been working to lift U.S. restrictions . The erasure of sanctions even before compliance is a key Iranian demand.

The Americans have also reportedly accepted in principle the mullahs’ demand for reparations for the economic damages the country suffered as a result of the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s initial promises of negotiating a “longer and stronger” deal that would allay Israel’s and regional Sunni Arab allies’ worries about a nuclear Iran seems to have evaporated as well, Israeli officials say.

There is no discussion about a ban on the mullahs’ development of long-range missiles that could carry nuclear warheads, or consequences for Iran’s continuing destabilization of Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, they say.

Extending the sunset clauses, which drops all restrictions on Iranian nuclear program in just four years’ time, is also seemingly off the table.

“The Americans may want to believe that they will get a better deal in the future,” said one Israeli official, “but the minute they return to the original deal they lose their leverage against Iran, which has no interest in changing the current agreement. This promise [of a better deal] is either a lie or pretending innocence.”

Israel and the U.S. have been communicating over the Iranian issue. Last week, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan invited his Israeli counterpart, Meir Ben Shabbat, to visit before the end of the month for what will be a third round of strategic talks between the two countries.