JCPOA and Iran's Regional Presence; Netanyahu's Discussions with Pompeo

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is set to host U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shortly, announced that he intends to discuss Iran's nuclear program and its 'increasing aggression' during this meeting. Pompeo's trip to the Middle East comes shortly after his appointment as Secretary of State, and he had meetings with the King of Saudi Arabia and the country's foreign minister on Sunday morning, as well as visits to Jordan and Israel on the same day. In this context, Netanyahu described Pompeo's visit to Israel as significant, marking his first official trip in this role. Netanyahu emphasized, 'I will discuss with him the regional developments, Iran's increasingly aggressive approach, and of course the nuclear agreement with Iran - which is set to be decided upon soon.' U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce his decision regarding the extension of the suspension of sanctions against Iran under the nuclear agreement in less than two weeks, having previously stated that he would not agree to extend the suspension if the 'disastrous flaws and disagreements' in the agreement are not corrected. This issue has been welcomed by Israeli officials who have opposed the Iran nuclear deal from the beginning and have consistently spoken about the need for its cancellation or complete reform. The U.S. Secretary of State, who is also a critic of the nuclear agreement, stated on Friday after meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels that if Trump's proposed changes are not implemented, it seems he would not be inclined to continue participating in the JCPOA. Trump demands the permanent limitation of Iran's activities under the JCPOA, guarantees that Iran will not have permanent access to nuclear weapons, and that inspectors have access to all Iranian facilities. On the other hand, he insists that the JCPOA must also address other Iranian actions, especially missile tests. Part of what U.S. officials refer to as Iran's destabilizing and destructive actions in the region relates to the presence of Iranian military forces and Tehran-backed militias in Syria, and Netanyahu emphasized on Sunday that his country cannot allow Iran to establish a military presence near Israel's borders in Syria. For a long time, Iran described its presence in Syria as 'advisory' and in response to the 'invitation of the legitimate Syrian government,' but in the past two years, it has acknowledged that thousands of Iranian forces and militias organized and sent by Iran have been killed in the Syrian war. Three weeks ago, an attack attributed to Israel on the T-4 airbase in Syria resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals, including seven Iranian forces. Israel has remained silent regarding its involvement in this attack, although Israeli officials state that there will be no limits to countering Iran's influence and actions. In contrast, Iran and Russia, the two main allies of Bashar al-Assad's government, consider Israel responsible for this attack. Recently, Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria has raised concerns in Israel, as Israeli officials wish for Washington to assist in curbing Iran's influence in Syria. Pompeo's visit to Israel also coincides with the scheduled time for the transfer of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, a decision set to be implemented on May 14 in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment. This decision has provoked anger among Palestinians, leading Palestinian officials to suspend all contacts with U.S. officials in response. No meetings with any Palestinian officials are scheduled during Pompeo's visit to Israel.