This morning in Vienna, talks between Iran, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and France resumed. The United States was not allowed into the room. Not surprisingly, Iran is demanding immediate sanctions relief up front, which should be a reward for compliance, not for just deigning for negotiations. 

Much of the international community is just happy that Iran showed up. Characteristically, the European Union’s Enrique Mora sounded optimistic, saying, “I feel positive that we can be doing important things for the next weeks.” 

However, we at EMET are not quite so optimistic. Their stated objective was to return to the JCPOA, the 2015 deal, but the amount of highly enriched uranium at 60% purity has already far exceeded the limits of the deal. Iran has also already installed the modern, faster enriching centrifuges at their Natanz facility. 

Israel knows, and we at EMET know, that there really is no turning back. 

We at EMET are determined to educate policymakers and the public at large as to why a nuclear armed Iran is not just a danger to Israel, but to the region and the world. Consider the impunity with which North Korea operates now that it is under a nuclear umbrella. 

In the meantime, Israel is very isolated in the community of nations and feels, as Former National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidor said last week, “No one will lift a finger to help Israel fight Iran.” 

Please join us this coming Wednesday as we have noted national security expert John Hannah speak about how Israel can defend itself, by itself. 

About the speaker: John Hannah is a Senior Fellow at JINSA’s Gemunder Center for Defense and Strategy.

Hannah served in senior foreign policy positions for both Democratic and Republican administrations, including as former Vice President Dick Cheney’s National Security Advisor from 2005-2009 and as Vice President Cheney’s Deputy National Security Advisor for the Middle East from 2001-2005. Previously, he also served as a senior advisor to Secretary of State Warren Christopher during the Bill Clinton administration, and as a senior member of Secretary of State James A. Baker’s Policy Planning Staff during the presidency of George H.W. Bush.

Outside of government, Hannah was Senior Counselor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and a lawyer practicing in the area of international dispute resolution. Hannah received his BA from Duke University, his JD from the Yale Law School, and did graduate work in international relations at Stanford University.