Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, has warned the West against striking a nuclear deal with Iran
Press TV reports: Netanyahu claimed on Monday that a hasty nuclear agreement between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US — plus Germany would allow Tehran “to rush to the bomb”.
“There are reports that the P5+1 countries are close to a deal with Iran on Iran’s nuclear program,” Netanyahu said, adding, “I call on the P5+1 countries – don’t rush into a deal that would let Iran rush to the bomb.”
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“Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear threshold power,” Bibi said.
Israel as the sole-possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, with 200-400 nuclear warheads in its arsenals, refuses to either allow inspections of its nuclear facilities or join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Iran is a signatory to the NPT, and its nuclear activities are under surveillance by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Furthermore, numerous inspections by the IAEA have never found any evidence supporting the allegation that its nuclear activities have non-civilian purposes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, US Secretary of State John Kerry, and Catherine Ashton, the EU’s envoy, wrapped up two days of high-level talks in the Omani capital Muscat about disagreements hindering a comprehensive deal on Tehran’s nuclear energy program.
Senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi tells Press TV that no progress has yet been achieved in the trilateral talks.
The US State Department spokeswoman said the talks were “tough, direct and serious.” Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington that the US remained focused on making progress, and there’s still time to do so.
The negotiations are aimed at facilitating a final deal over Iran’s nuclear energy program before the November 24 deadline.
Last November, Iran and the P5+1 group of countries clinched an interim nuclear accord, which took effect on January 20 and expired six months later. However, they agreed to extend their talks until November 24 as they remained divided on a number of key issues.
