Netanyahu Seeks Angela Merkel's Help to Reform Iran Nuclear Deal

The Prime Minister of Israel, who has traveled to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and urged her to take Donald Trump's warning seriously regarding the need for 'real changes' to the nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran, and to 'take advantage of the last opportunity.' According to Israeli media, Benjamin Netanyahu will also present this request during his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron during his stay in Davos. On Wednesday, January 24, Netanyahu told Merkel: 'The only option is to make real changes to the agreement with Iran, not superficial changes, to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear. Otherwise, this agreement in its current form guarantees Iran's nuclearization.' In a statement released by the Israeli Prime Minister's office regarding the meeting, Merkel told Netanyahu that she understands 'Israel's concerns about the agreement in its current form, which could threaten Israel's existence, but she does not necessarily agree with the way we want to address it; however, Europeans will hold meetings among themselves and also with the United States on this issue.' From Netanyahu's response to Israeli reporters, it can be inferred that he did not receive a clear promise from Merkel; he said, 'The future will clarify' what decision Europe makes. On the first day of his stay in Davos, the Israeli Prime Minister also spoke about the 'threat of Iran' in meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Swiss President Alain Berset, and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. According to General Herbert McMaster, National Security Advisor to the White House, Donald Trump is scheduled to discuss the threats posed by Iran with Netanyahu on Thursday; this meeting occurs two days after Vice President Mike Pence's visit to Israel. On January 12, Trump stated that the 'disastrous' flaws of the nuclear agreement with Iran must be corrected or the U.S. will withdraw from it; demands that Israel has also welcomed. Trump's four conditions include: inspections of all Iranian sites requested by international inspectors, guarantees against approaching nuclear weapons, the permanence of the agreement, and restrictions on Iran's long-range missile program, as Trump stated that long-range missiles and Iran's nuclear weapons program are 'inseparable.' Iran has stated that it will never sit for new negotiations regarding the JCPOA; Europe has also shown little enthusiasm for the U.S. conditions and reopening the nuclear negotiations with Iran. Russia has opposed this, and China, despite some objections, has not appeared as a strong opponent of renewing nuclear talks with Iran like Russia. However, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced on Monday during his trip to London the formation of a U.S.-European working group tasked with reforming the JCPOA. The discussion of Iranian issues in the negotiations between Israeli and U.S. leaders at the Davos Forum comes at a time when no senior representative from the Islamic Republic of Iran has participated in this meeting this year.