Former Israeli Security Chief Says U.S.-Iran Framework Grants Tehran a Lifeline
Meir Ben Shabbat, head of the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy and Israel’s former national security adviser from 2017 to 2021, said the new U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding is deeply troubling for Israel. He stressed that it is only an interim arrangement, not a final deal, and that the core nuclear issues have not yet been settled, so it cannot yet be fairly compared with the Obama agreement.
Still, Ben Shabbat argued that what has already been agreed is enough to worry Jerusalem. In his view, any agreement with Iran gives legitimacy to what he called a radical regime and provides it with “survival, hope and resources for recovery.” He said the deal will end Iran’s severe economic distress, which helped trigger mass protests and endangered the regime internally, while also bringing in billions of dollars at the start and more billions during implementation. He added that reopening the Strait of Hormuz for Iranian oil exports would add further revenue.
One of his main criticisms was the inclusion of Lebanon in the framework. “The inclusion of Lebanon in the agreement is a gift to Iran,” he said, arguing it would protect Hezbollah, Iran’s most important proxy, and recognize Tehran as a player in Lebanon. He also noted that, as far as is known, the deal says nothing about Iran’s ballistic missiles, despite their threat to the Middle East and Europe. On nuclear talks, he said they are being delayed until Tehran is stronger and U.S. pressure is weaker, calling the arrangement one in which Washington pays Iran in cash and receives a “deferred check” whose details are unclear.
Ben Shabbat also said the agreement signals U.S. weakness in the region and could push some Middle Eastern states to seek alternative security ties. He said opponents of the Iranian regime may feel betrayed after risking their lives while waiting for the American “green light” they had been promised. Asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said Israel could not ignore Hezbollah’s actions against northern communities and that restraint would have cemented the Iranian equation in Lebanon. He said Iran will likely avoid a nuclear confrontation for now, but will not give up its nuclear ambitions. Looking back at March, he said the war was justified, even if its political ending was troubling, because Israel showed it would not allow an existential threat to be built against it.
