Iran’s quest for nuclear power in front burner as Germany hosts Israel

Admin  l Tuesday, February 28, 2023

 

BERLIN – Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is due to arrive in Berlin on Tuesday to hold talks with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock focusing on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, according to Cohen’s ministry.

The German Foreign Ministry said the two ministers would hold a press conference after the meeting at around midday. In 2015, Iran agreed to a deal with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Germany and the European Union. The deal restricted its nuclear programme, limiting the enrichment of uranium in particular.

The United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 under the administration of former president Donald Trump. Since then, Tehran has gradually breached its provisions. Attempts to revive the deal have been deadlocked for months.

Cohen is also planning to visit the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin and meet representatives of the Jewish community. “We will preserve the important relations with Germany on bilateral, European and international levels,” he said ahead of the visit.

The visit, the first by Cohen since the new right-wing religious Israeli coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in December, comes amid tensions between Israel and the Palestinian territories, following a recent escalation in violence.

Israeli society is also deeply divided over judicial reforms proposed by the new government that plan to limit the powers of the Supreme Court.