What might Israel want if the United States rejoins the Iran deal?
It might not be right away, but the United States is heading back into a nuclear deal with Iran. Its just a matter of time. The Biden administration has said that a new deal would be broadened to put greater limits on Irans nuclear and missile programs as well as constrain its malign activities in the Middle East where Tehran has been expanding. But Israel is strongly opposed to any deal with Iran - both under the previous government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the current coalition led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Israeli officials including President Reuven Rivlin, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and top military officials have and will continue to meet with American officials in an attempt to convince the Biden administration to refrain from reentering into a deal with the Islamic Republic. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi recently returned from Washington and Tampa where he met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, head of the US Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, and head of the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Gen. Richard Clark. During the meetings he warned that the current deal had failures including the lack of supervision in terms of nuclear proliferation that would allow the Islamic Republic to make significant progress related to their nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Israels top military officer explained the threat created by returning to the original nuclear agreement and emphasized that all measures should be taken to prevent Iran from achieving military nuclear capabilities, the IDF said. cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); });  if(window.location.pathname.indexOf("656089") != -1){console.log("hedva connatix");document.getElementsByClassName("divConnatix")[0].style.display ="none";}  Kohavi has made it clear that he views the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as dangerous, saying in January that he has directed the IDF to prepare fresh operational plans to strike Iran in order to stop its nuclear program if necessary. Following the meetings, the United States released statements that affirmed the Presidents commitment to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon and that the two allies would continue to expand bilateral consultations on the array of strategic challenges facing the region.  His week-long meetings were intensive and likely also included quid pro quo demands from the United States. One could be to significantly increase military coordination and cooperation between the two allies. In January the United States moved Israel from EUCOM (European Command that currently focuses on Russia and its threats against Europe and NATO, ) to CENTCOMs area of responsibility in January. The move to CENTCOM is believed to not only simplify the cooperation with American troops in the region but can also create potential for a regional coalition with Arab countries that have normalized ties with Israel against shared threats posed by Iran. Both Kohavi and Defense Minister Benny Gantz believe that moderate Sunni states such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others who have not yet signed agreements with Israel can deepen their ties, especially in terms of regional security arrangements. CENTCOM Commander Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told Defense News that the move would put an operational perspective on the Abraham Accords and will set up further corridors and opportunities to open up between Israel and Arab countries in the region on a military-to-military level. The increased cooperation with CENTCOM and even the Gulf States will give Israel a leg up in terms of dealing with the threat posed by Tehran. But its not enough. Increased intelligence sharing will likely be a main demand as well as additional monetary support for missile defense batteries could be another. The current ten-year $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two was signed in 2016 and was an increase from the $30 billion MOU signed in 2007. The discussions surrounding the new one, which is set to be signed in 2028 are already in the works. The new MOU could allow Israel to have a framework and the freedom to decide and finance future procurement plans. As part of the demands for rejoining a nuclear deal, Israel could demand that the new MOU allow Israel to obtain deferred payments and low interests on future major platform purchases. A new MOU might also secure the ability to frontload platforms, giving the IAF the fighter jets, helicopters and transport planes now with the ability to pay later. The replenishing and upgrading of the prepositioned precision-guided munition stockpiles that the US keeps in Israel would also save time for Jerusalem by having immediate access to them in the case of a full-scale conflict with the north or with Iran. Either of those would bolster Israels strategic and defensive situation. But, Israel has always stressed that it would defend itself, by itself, at any given time. And last week, during Kohavis visit to the US, a manufacturing center for the production of centrifuges near the Iranian city of Karaj was attacked by a drone strike. According to a report in The New York Times, the site, known as the Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, was on a list of targets presented to the Trump administration last year as being a possible Israeli target. No matter if Jerusalem gets what it might demand from Washington, the Jewish State has made it clear-loudly-that it will continue with its war between wars against Tehran.