Israel sent an envoy to Vienna, Austria, to take part in meetings with the head negotiators of the United States and other powers over Iran's nuclear program, according to Israeli media reports on Tuesday, that have not been corroborated by any official government source.
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The envoy is the head of Israel's Foreign Ministry's strategic division, Yosh Zarka, according to Maariv. The paper also said that Zarka met with Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi on Tuesday.
Talks over Iran's nuclear activities resumed last week after halting at the end of last month, following what negotiators cited as progress in seeking to revive the 2015 accord. Parties to the deal have been negotiating in the Austrian capital since last year, without Israeli involvement and with indirect US participation.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the end of last year that Israel would not oppose a nuclear deal with Iran, but noted that world powers must take a firmer position. In an interview with Army Radio, he said he preferred a "practical approach."
"Unlike others, we're not looking to fight for the sake of fighting. Rather, we're trying to bring a result," Bennett said at the time.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told The New York Times around the same time that Jerusalem would rather Washington and other powers walk away from the nuclear talks than reach a "bad deal." He said that the best-case outcome of the Vienna talks was what he referred to as a "good deal" with Iran.
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Shortly after talks resumed, Iran unveiled a new missile with a range of 900 miles – capable of hitting US bases throughout the Middle East or locations in Israel, Tasnim News Agency reported.
On Tuesday, Iran's top security official said a "guarantee" and "verification" would be needed for Vienna talks to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, in an apparent reference to any US commitments.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
