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SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 7

T

he calming messages 
from Washington 
that a final nuclear 
deal with Iran is still far off 
seem to be more a method of 
desensitizing Israel and less 
of an indication that there are 
serious disputes 
between the 
U.S. and Iran 
that cannot be 
overcome.
The reason 
is simple: Both 
sides want the 
deal and are 
not interested in passing the 
point of no return. One needs 
to listen to what is being said 
in Tehran to understand how 
the Iranians have managed 
to skip lightly over what the 
U.S. presented as an important 
success in the negotiations, 
which is that Iran supposedly 
gave up its demand that the 

Iranian Revolutionary Guard 
Corps (IRGC) be removed 
from the U.S. list of terrorist 
entities.
First of all, the Iranians are 
now saying that this had never 
been a dealbreaker. Second, 
the Americans have promised 
to continue discussing the 
subject after a deal is signed. 
Third, as far as the Iranians 
are concerned, “
As long as 
the IRGC remains on the 
Americans’ list of terrorist 
organizations, CENTCOM will 
remain on ours.” That’s not a 
joke.
The sad part of the story 
is that the trick the Iranians 
pulled in regard to the IRGC 
was seen by the Americans 
as justification for signing 
the new deal. What’s even 
sadder is that the sanctions 
applied to the IRGC haven’t 
prevented it from threatening 

to undermine regimes and 
individuals in the Middle East 
and beyond.
On the whole, the true test 
of the nuclear deal before it 
is signed has nothing to do 
with the IRGC, but with three 
major issues: First, whether it 
brings Iran back into the field 
of uranium enrichment, where 
it has both reached a high 
level and started removing 
it from its borders. Second, 
whether the deal clearly 
mandates that Iran stop using 
its advanced centrifuges and 
increases oversight of them. 
Third, whether the Americans 
demanded and Iran has agreed 
to extend the term of the 
deal until the date when all 
restrictions on Iran’s nuclear 
activity will be lifted. We still 
don’t know if these issues have 
been resolved.
Israel and the negotiators on 

the American and European 
sides agree on one thing: Iran 
is not to be trusted. The proof 
is that the Iranians agreed to 
drop their demand on the 
IRGC listing, but not their 
demand that an international 
investigation into enriched 
uranium discovered at three 
nuclear sites be stopped. 
If they don’t intend to fool 
anyone, what do they have to 
hide?
Israel has no real way 
of stopping the Biden 
administration if it decides 
to enter into a bad Iran 
deal with eyes wide open. 
Instead, Israel needs to focus 
its efforts on ensuring that it 
has American backing and 
freedom of operation against 
Iran if it turns out that Tehran 
is moving toward a bomb. The 
U.S. Congress can delay the 
removal of sanctions on Iran, 
and the Republicans will be 
trying to regain control of it in 
the midterm elections. 

Oded Granot is a senior Middle East 

and Arab world commentator. This arti-

cle was originally published by Israel 

Hayom.

column
Israel Must Focus on Freedom 
to Operate Against Iran

Oded Granot
JNS.org

Yiddish Limerick

Labor Day

Dos iz der letzter barbecue 
this year 
so ess un ess un do not fear.
Mir rufn dos, Arbeit Day 
so hob a bisel fun, do bist 
okay. 
A Yontef far dir un far mir.
 
 
 
 

 Dos iz der letzter: this is 
 the last 
 Ess un ess: eat and eat
Mir rufn dos: Arbeit Day
So hob: so have
A bisel: a little
Do bist: you are
A Yontef: a holiday
Far dir un far mir: for you 

 and for me.

 By Rachel Kapen

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