Netanyahu three Nos in case of any US deal with Iran
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed three basic conditions, which he described as essential, for any possible agreement with Tehran, leading them with a demand to remove all stockpiles of enriched uranium from Iranian territory.
Netanyahu’s decisive remarks came during a meeting with the heads of prominent American Jewish organizations in Jerusalem, where he made it clear that Israel isn’t only demanding a temporary halt to enrichment activities, but goes much further.
“There must be no uranium enrichment activity at all, not only stopping the process, but also dismantling the equipment and infrastructure that allows the enrichment to take place,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu revealed details of his recent talks with US President Donald Trump on February 11, expressing his deep skepticism about the possibility of reaching a real understanding between Washington and Tehran. Netanyahu’s prime minister’s office quoted Netanyahu as saying,
“I’ll not hide from you that I have expressed skepticism about any agreement with Iran,” he said.
Netanyahu outlined three key items that he said represent the minimum required for any agreement, not only to ensure Israel’s security, but also to the security of the United States, the region and the entire world:
The first and most urgent demand is the complete removal of all enriched uranium material from Iran, to ensure that it is not used at any subsequent stage.
It’s not enough to stop the current enrichment, but all equipment and facilities that enable Iran to resume this activity in the future, which means depriving it of nuclear capability permanently.
Any agreement must include the issue of Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Netanyahu set a stark limit on the range of these rockets to no more than 300 kilometers, which in practice means that they won’t reach Israeli territory, in a move aimed at neutralizing the most prominent strategic threat facing Israel.
The remarks come at a time of heightened tension in the region, as nuclear talks remain deadlocked.
Observers believe that Netanyahu’s “three Nos” represent a very high ceiling of demands that Tehran will find difficult to accept, which could herald a new phase of diplomatic, or even military, confrontation in the event of the failure of international efforts to contain Iran’s nuclear program.
