Blinken meets Israel, Arab partners as looming renewed Iran deal rattles ties

The Biden administration may have to contend with another foreign policy crisis over the Iran nuclear deal.

JERUSALEM -- While President Joe Biden’s administration has been seized by the global response to Russia's war on Ukraine, another foreign policy crisis looms ahead over the Iran nuclear deal.

Talks to revive the accord have been on pause for over two weeks now, but the sides remain close to finalizing an agreement. Without one, the administration has warned Iran is just weeks away from having enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb.

But the top U.S. partners in the Middle East are largely opposed to a renewed deal, with Israel rallying concern among its new Arab partners under the banner of the Abraham Accords, the Trump era deals that established diplomatic and economic ties between Israel and several Arab countries.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken walked into that minefield this weekend, arriving in the region for four days of meetings, including a historic summit with Israel and three of the Abraham Accord countries -- the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.