Germany's Scholz sees no imminent nuclear agreement with Iran

BERLIN >> German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made clear Monday that he doesn't expect an agreement with Iran in the immediate future to restore Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers, though he said there's no reason for Iran not to sign up and European countries would remain “patient.”

Scholz spoke after meeting in Berlin with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who insisted that restoring the 2015 agreement would be “a critical mistake.” Germany, along with France, Britain, Russia and China, is still a party to the deal and involved in talks on its revival that have dragged on for over a year.

The European countries “have made proposals, and there is no reason now for Iran not to agree to these proposals, but we have to take note of the fact that this isn't the case, so it certainly won't happen soon, although it looked for a while like it would,” Scholz said. “We remain patient, but we also remain clear: Iran must be prevented from being able to deploy nuclear weapons.”

The German leader said that “a functioning international agreement to limit and monitor the Iranian nuclear program is the right way” to do that.

But Lapid said that “it is time to move past the failed negotiations with Iran,” which he said can't and won't achieve the goal of stopping Iran getting a nuclear weapon. His office said he also shared intelligence with the German government.

“Removing sanctions and pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into

“Removing sanctions and pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into Iran will bring waves of terrorism, not only to the Middle East, but also across Europe.” — Yair Lapid, Israel's prime minister

Iran will bring waves of terrorism, not only to the Middle East, but also across Europe,” Lapid said.

Israel, which encouraged the U.S. to withdraw from the nuclear deal in 2018, has opposed a renewed agreement between Iran and the world powers. It says lifting sanctions will allow Iran to funnel billions of dollars to hostile militant groups and says an improved deal must also address Iran's regional military activities and support for hostile groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and other militias in Syria.

Speaking Monday at the Jerusalem Post Conference in New York, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Iran has built at least 10 facilities “for mid- and long-range, precise missiles and weapons” in neighboring Syria, including one reportedly targeted by Israel in a recent airstrike.

The United States unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear accord in 2018 under then President Donald Trump and reimposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to start backing away from the deal's terms.