Former Officials Come Out for Biden Policy on Iran

Former senior defense and security officials in Israel have written to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu‏‏ urging him to reconsider his opposition to the U.S. plans to return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

The letter, signed by former heads of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, the IDF and the Mossad, said that the group “welcomes the American initiative to get Iran to again transparently follow the guidelines in the JCPOA as long as it includes an Iranian commitment to abide by UN Security Council Resolution 2231” regarding development of ballistic missiles.

The group, led by former deputy IDF chief of staff Matan Vilnai, includes former Mossad director Tamir Pardo, former head of the IDF Operations Directorate Maj.-Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, former head of the National Security Council Uzi Arad and Eli Levite, the former principal deputy director-general for policy at the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission.

They further backed the Biden administration’s position not to lift sanctions on Iran unless it first agrees comply with the 2015 deal. Only then can a U.S. return to the JCPOA follow.

“This will take into account new information that has been accumulated since the JCPOA as well as additional problems that Iran presents,” the letter said.