Israel welcomes German backing for expanded Iran nuclear deal

Israel has welcomed Germany's proposal to expand the Iran nuclear deal into a broader security agreement once Joe Biden assumes the US presidency next month. Jeremy Issacharoff, the Israeli ambassador to Berlin, said a recent call by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to reassess the 2015 nuclear accord with a new US administration was a "step in the right direction". The 2015 nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme. Mr Maas told Der Spiegel magazine this month that the existing agreement, under massive pressure after repeated Iranian violations and US President...