Former United States ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro has been appointed by the US State Department as the liaison to Israel on the staff of US Special Envoy to Iran, Robert Malley. State Department officials told Walla News that Shapiro is also expected to focus on coordinating with Israel on the nuclear issue, but especially on Iranian activity in the region.

Indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran were frozen after the Iranian presidential election, and it is still unclear when it will resume. Given the positions of the new president Ebrahim Raisi and senior government officials, and their intention to present tougher positions than before - it seems that the chances of an Iranian return to the nuclear deal are now less than when Hassan Rouhani was president.

Israel is very concerned about the situation in which there are no negotiations. Iran continues to advance its nuclear program and there are no new sanctions or other moves aimed at putting pressure on it. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stressed in his talks in Washington that the US and Israel should start working on an alternative plan, in case the diplomatic channel stays frozen. US President Joe Biden said in a meeting with Bennett that if diplomacy with Iran fails he is ready to move forward in other channels.

In light of the understanding in Washington and Jerusalem that an alternative plan must begin to be considered, Shapiro's role will be more significant. Shapiro began serving as a senior part-time adviser to the US State Department's Iran staff last week. He went through a process of security classification and participated in several discussions on the Iranian issue and even advised White House officials ahead of the meeting between Biden and Bennett. However, he did not take part in meetings with the Israeli delegation itself.

Shapiro is expected to spend half of his time in Israel and half of his time in Washington. In Israel, he will work from the US Embassy. One of his main tasks will be to liaise with members of the Prime Minister's Office, the Foreign Ministry, and the defense establishment on the Iranian issue in order to increase coordination and allow for more intimate dialogue.

A general view of the Bushehr main nuclear reactor, Iran (credit: REUTERS/RAHEB HOMAVANDI)
A general view of the Bushehr main nuclear reactor, Iran (credit: REUTERS/RAHEB HOMAVANDI)
In December, following Biden's election victory, Shapiro published an article in The Washington Post in which he said he supported backing the nuclear deal. However, he noted that he is aware of the Israeli concerns and believes that the two countries should enter into an intimate dialogue and formulate a common strategy, instead of degenerating again into a public confrontation as was the case in 2015.

A senior State Department official said Iranian envoy Robert Malley had recruited Shapiro to his team as part of his commitment to bring Iran experts with diverse opinions to the negotiations team. Shapiro is considered more hawkish in his positions on the Iranian issue, and he brings to Malley's team the perspective of Israel and the Gulf states. Malley intends to add more members to his team in the coming weeks to increase the range of opinions and perspectives.

"In light of Shapiro's experience in the region, he will help us think about the regional implications of the negotiations with Iran and will be able to contribute greatly in terms of coordination with Israel. He knows the area. People in the region know him and he brings a point of view that will contribute to our thinking," said a senior State Department official.

In the first two years of Barack Obama's term, Shapiro served as the Middle East portfolio holder on the White House National Security Council. For the next six years, he served as US Ambassador to Israel. Shapiro knows many senior members of the defense establishment well and has personal acquaintance with Bennett, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Since leaving his position, Shapiro has continued to live with his family in Israel and worked as a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. In recent weeks, Shapiro has completed his work at the Israeli Research Institute and will begin working at a research institute in Washington in parallel with his position in the administration. Shapiro told his friends that he and his family are expected to return to live in the United States in the coming months.

In recent months, Shapiro's name has risen as a candidate for the position of special envoy to promote normalization between Israel and the Arab world. So far, however, Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken have not decided whether they want to appoint a special envoy to the issue or try to promote it through current State Department and White House officials.