Joe Biden Wants To 'Get Back' With Iran, Israel's Chief Of Military Staff: Wrong!

Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi. (Source: Wikimedia Commons / IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

JAKARTA - Israel's Chief of Military Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi made a surprise statement on Tuesday, January 27 local time. First, he said the Israeli military was updating its operational plans against Iran.

Next, the former Director of Israeli Military Intelligence said that any attempt by the United States (US) to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran (Iran) was wrong.

This statement is a real signal for US President Joe Biden to be careful in any diplomatic relations with Iran. Previously, Biden was said to be planning to bring the US back to the nuclear deal with Iran (JCPOA).

Open remarks from the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Military on US foreign policy plans are rare. And, most likely it has been approved in advance by the Government of Israel.

"Going back to the 2015 nuclear agreement, or even if it is a similar deal with some fixes, is bad and wrong from an operational and strategic point of view," Kochavi stressed in a speech at the Tel Aviv University Institute.

Israeli military illustration. (Timon Studler / Unsplash)

Under Donald Trump's presidency, the United States withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran in 2018. This move was welcomed and supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who criticized the leniency of sanctions and the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons after the expiration of the agreement.

Since Washington withdrew from the deal, Iran has gradually encroached on its core boundaries, building up low-enriched uranium stocks, enriching uranium to higher purity levels, and installing centrifuges in a manner prohibited by the deal.

Kochavi said Iran's actions showed it was ready to thrive in building a nuclear weapon. This accusation continues to be denied by Iran.

"Based on this fundamental analysis, I have instructed the Israeli Defense Forces to prepare a number of operational plans, in addition to the existing ones," he said.

"It is up to the political leadership, of course, to decide on implementation, but this plan must be discussed," he added.

To note, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu threatened the possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran ahead of the agreement. Although, there are also internal Israelis who say that the US-Iran agreement has potential security benefits.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State who recently approved the Senate Antony Blinken said the US still has not decided whether to rejoin the agreement. While looking at Iran's compliance with the agreement.