‘Israel more isolated after Iran talks’

Israel is becoming increasingly isolated in its rants about setting a deadline for talks over Iran’s nuclear energy program and is ratcheting up its bellicose rhetoric against the country as the West will not attack Tehran “over a nonexistent bomb,” an article says.

Analyzing international reactions following Iran’s recent talks with the P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US plus Germany), the article published by The Nation said, “Indeed, there is absolutely no chance that the United States will choose to use the infamous military option that is always ‘on the table,’ since war with Iran would have incalculable and catastrophic consequences.”

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany wrapped up their latest round of negotiations on April 6 in the Kazakh city of Almaty.

Israel’s new Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz described the talks as a “failure” and said, “The time has come for the world to take a more assertive stand and make it unequivocally clear to the Iranians that the negotiations games have run their course.”

He added that talks would not reach any conclusion “without a significant and tangible threat, including a short timetable.”

US Secretary of State John Kerry, however, said on April 7 that, “There was somewhat of a gap that remains, obviously, as a consequence of the discussions that they had in Almaty. But the door is still open to doing that, and yes, indeed, it is important to continue to talk and to try to find the common ground.”

Highlighting the stances adopted by China and Russia about recognizing Iran’s right to enrich uranium, the article said the US and its allies are aware that without offering such an option the impasse will not be broken.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Sunday that, “Russia says clearly the recognition of all rights of Iran under [the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,] including the right to enrichment in exchange for the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) control over Iran’s nuclear program, is the final model. This can be spread out to any depth.”

The article added, “Israel is more and more isolated, and its demand for military action is sounding ever more shrill. By now, the Israelis have figured out that the United States and the West isn’t going to attack Iran over a nonexistent bomb, and despite their bluster Israel doesn’t have the capacity to go it alone.”