Israel appeals to China for help tackling Iran’s nuclear threat

Drones on display during a ceremony at an unknown location in Iran on April 20 - IRANIAN ARMY OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Drones on display during a ceremony at an unknown location in Iran on April 20 – IRANIAN ARMY OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Israel is lobbying China for help in dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme as it seeks to capitalise on Beijing’s new role as a diplomatic power broker in the Middle East.

Eli Cohen, the Israeli foreign minister, this week asked his Chinese counterpart to use the country’s “influence” on Tehran to stop it acquiring nuclear weapons, as fears grow that the regime is on the brink of enriching enough uranium for a bomb.

The appeal comes as China emerges as a new diplomatic player in the region, having secured a major thaw in tensions between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in March.

The Beijing-brokered deal led to Riyadh and Tehran reopening their embassies and resuming flights, and also raised hopes that it might bolster efforts to restore peace in Yemen, where the two countries back opposing sides.

But Israel appears to be hopeful that China’s initial successes could be extended to resolving the nuclear crisis, which could soon escalate into a direct military conflict between Israel and Tehran.

Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear programme, which it regards as an existential threat, unless an urgent diplomatic solution can be found.

It is already suspected of carrying out a number of covert attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, as well as assassinating the programme’s chief scientist.

Dangers of Iranian programme

The UN atomic agency’s revelation in February that Iran is enriching uranium at levels of 84 per cent, just short of the threshold for acquiring a nuclear weapon, has intensified the crisis.

“I spoke with the Chinese foreign minister, Qin Gang, about the danger we see in the Iranian nuclear programme – a danger that is shared by many countries in the region, including countries that have diplomatic relations with Iran,” Mr Cohen said in a statement after their phone call this week.

“The international community must act immediately to prevent the Ayatollah regime in Tehran from obtaining nuclear capabilities.”

The UN atomic agency’s revelation in February that Iran is enriching uranium at levels of 84 per cent, just short of the threshold for acquiring a nuclear weapon, has intensified the crisis - Iranian Army

The UN atomic agency’s revelation in February that Iran is enriching uranium at levels of 84 per cent, just short of the threshold for acquiring a nuclear weapon, has intensified the crisis – Iranian Army

It was unclear this week whether China had responded positively to that proposal.

A statement from the Chinese foreign ministry about the phone call only alluded to how Israel “closely follows the Iranian nuclear issue and expects China to play a positive role”.

But it added that the foreign minister had stressed to Mr Cohen in their call that the Iranian-Saudi thaw in relations was a “fine example of resolving differences through dialogue”.

The Chinese account of the phone call focused much more on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with China offering to renew peace talks and “implement a two-state solution”.

Diplomatic win possible

A source familiar with Israel and Saudi Arabia’s strategy on Iran said an end to the nuclear programme was an unlikely outcome of any talks, but they suggested that if China brokered a symbolic deal with Iran – such as a commitment to freezing the programme at the current threshold – then this could be sold as a diplomatic win by all three countries.

Saudi Arabia and China could use such a deal to burnish their status as rivals to American influence in the Middle East, potentially filling a vacuum left by the Biden administration, which has scaled down its involvement in the region.

Separately, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, could claim a foreign policy triumph that may distract his critics from a major, ongoing domestic crisis over his controversial plans to overhaul the country’s legal system.

However, Mr Netanyahu’s appetite for reopening peace talks with the Palestinians seems to be limited, at least in public.

In an interview with CNBC this week, he insisted he was “not aware of any specific offer of this kind”, referring to China’s remarks.

Mr Netanyahu also dismissed speculation that Beijing’s role in the region could eclipse that of Washington, stressing “we have an indispensable alliance with our great friend, the United States”.

source: yahoo.com