3 yıl önce

Israel: Iran nuclear deal could be agreed shortly, but it will be weaker

The agreement will only buy time, "after which Iran can and may develop and install advanced centrifuges, without restrictions," Israeli Prime Minister Bennett said.

AFP

Israel will not be bound by a restored agreement and will retain the freedom to act if Iran advances towards producing a nuclear weapon, the prime minister said.

Iran may "shortly" agree a new nuclear deal with major powers, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said, while warning that the deal will be weaker than the original 2015 agreement.

Bennett made the announcement on Sunday, speaking ahead of a weekly cabinet meeting following indications that the outline of a deal was taking shape at talks in Vienna.

"We may see an agreement shortly," Bennett said. "The new agreement that appears will be made is shorter and weaker than the previous one," known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Bennett also claimed, without detailing his sources, that the new deal could expire in 2025, when the original deal negotiated under former US president Barack Obama was due to lapse.

"We are talking about an agreement that buys a total of two and a half years, after which Iran can and may develop and install advanced centrifuges, without restrictions," he said.

Bennett has said Israel will not be bound by a restored agreement and will retain the freedom to act if Iran advances towards producing a nuclear weapon.

A staunch opponent

Bennett has been a staunch opponent of the JCPOA and repeatedly warned any revenue Tehran sees from new sanctions relief will be used to purchase weapons that could harm Israelis.

"This money will eventually go to terrorism," he reiterated on Sunday.

"We are organising and preparing for the day after, in all dimensions, so that we can maintain the security of the citizens of Israel on our own," he told his cabinet.

Since the Vienna talks resumed, senior Israeli officials have said the Jewish state could support negotiations on a more robust pact with Iran, one that makes it impossible for the country to develop a nuclear weapon.

There is broad opposition across the Israeli and political establishment against the terms of the JCPOA.

The JCPOA offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, but the US unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed heavy economic sanctions.

Talks on reviving the initial pact have been held in the Austrian capital since late November, involving Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia directly and the United States indirectly.

Signs of a deal coming together emerged at the weekend, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saying there "was the chance to reach an agreement that will allow sanctions to be lifted".