As negotiators gathered in Vienna for talks with Iran on its nuclear program Nov. 29, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett addressed them in a tough-talking video, urging them not to give in to Iranian “nuclear blackmail” and not to reward Tehran's brutality, reminding his listeners that Iran has often vowed to destroy Israel. Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (in London) and President Isaac Herzog in his largely ceremonial role also spoke from the same page of talking points. All declared that Israel reserves the right to defend itself and called on world powers to rein in and block Iran rather than surrender to its “blackmail.”

As talks got underway in Vienna, it was yet another day in Israel’s Sisyphean attempts to convince the world that Iran cannot and must not be trusted. Its labors have borne few fruit. Israeli envoys recently presented intelligence to the heads of the P5+1 (the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany) who are negotiating with Iran that Iran is already making technical preparations for uranium enrichment to the military-grade 90% level.

According to Israeli assessments, the Iranians are taking this approach to ramp up pressure on the powers during this potentially crucial round of talks From Israel’s standpoint, an agreement by the West to lift economic sanctions before fully exploring what Iran is willing to give in return would be disastrous. According to pessimistic Israeli forecasts, such an agreement could be reached in Vienna and Israel is preparing to address it.

Seeing where the wind was blowing, Israel recently altered its demands, proposing a Churchiliean doctrine of blood, sweat and tears. If the Vienna talks fail to yield an agreement with Iran, the United States and the rest of the West must impose even tougher sanctions, monitor all of Iran’s violations, take Iran to the UN Security Council, continue clandestine operations to undermine the program and hope that Iran gives in and agrees to a better, longer-term deal, as the Americans demanded some six months ago. A senior Israeli military source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the most important next move will be to “finally place on the table a concrete, realistic military option, one that will scare the Iranians and move them to real action. Only such an option will make the difference.”