Prime Minister Yair Lapid expressed Israel's concerns over the emerging nuclear deal with Iran in his conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday, officials said.
The 45-minute phone conversation between the two leaders, focused mainly on the agreement that the United States was set to sign, effectively returning to the 2015 deal signed by former president Barak Obama.
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Joe Biden and Yair Lapid during the president's visit to Israel in July
(Photo: Reuters)
"You know what I think, and you know we do not like this deal," Lapid told Biden, according to Israeli officials, as he began to outline Israel's concerns.
Biden repeated his commitment to Israel's security and said the United States would not compromise on matters outside the original agreement including the designation of the Iranian Revolutionary Gard Corps, the open investigations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and means of avoiding U.S. imposed sanctions. But it was clear from his words that the United States remained intent on finalizing the deal.
Lapid said that with or without a deal, Israel will take all steps needed to defend itself, without any limitations.
Israeli officials said they believed there was still a chance to affect the deal. Iran is expected to respond to the latest draft presented by the European Union, on Friday and the Biden administration had been more forceful on aspects that were critical to Israel, which could prevent an agreement.
The officials said the conversation between the president and the prime minister was warm and personal. "We are being heard in the White House," the officials said. "Israel remains in the trenches and will not relent until the very end," they said.
Efforts were still underway to schedule a meeting between Biden and Lapid in New York on September 20, after Biden's address to the UN General Assembly.