Possible Failure of Iran Nuclear Deal Divides U.S., Israel

From The Wall St. Journal:

As profound as the disagreement is between Israel and the U.S. over the substance of the nuclear deal being negotiated with Iran, the two countries disagree just as fundamentally over the consequences of failing to complete such a deal.

In fact, this disagreement is central to the wildly divergent calculations being made by President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The heart of the dispute is simply this: If the talks fail to produce an agreement now, Israel believes the continued pressure of economic sanctions can compel Iran to agree to a much better deal later on. The Obama administration’s fear is that failure of the talks now could cause the collapse of the sanctions regime—and the end of any real pressure on the Iranians. 

This dispute is crucial as negotiations reach their climax this week...