WarSclerotic

Top Israeli officials lambaste ‘self-delusional’ Iran nuclear deal | The Times of Israel.

Foreign Minister Liberman says agreement will force Israel to make ‘different decisions’; Intel Minister Steinitz decries world celebrations, says Israel won’t take part; Prime Minister’s Office pans deal as giving Iran exactly what it wants

By AP and Times of Israel staff November 24, 2013, 7:54 am

From left, Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, US Secretary of State John Kerry, and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius greet each other and shake hands at the United Nations Palais, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013, in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Iran nuclear talks. (photo credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster, Pool)

Two top ministers harshly criticized the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers early Sunday, with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman saying the agreement had shifted the status quo in the Middle East.

“This brings us to a new reality in the whole Middle East, including the Saudis. This isn’t just our worry” he told Israel Radio. “We’ve found ourselves in a completely new situation.”

When asked if this would lead to an Israeli military strike on Iran, Liberman said Israel “would need to make different decisions.”

Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is responsible for monitoring Iran’s nuclear program, said there is no reason for the world to be celebrating. He said the deal, reached in Geneva early Sunday, is based on “Iranian deception and self-delusion.”

“Just like the failed deal with North Korea, the current deal can actually bring Iran closer to the bomb,” Steinitz said. “Israel cannot take part in the international celebrations based on Iranian deception and self-delusion.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to discuss the matter with his Cabinet later Sunday. He is also expected to speak by phone with US President Barack Obama, Reuters reported.

An unnamed source in the Prime Minister’s Office called the agreement a “bad deal that gives Iran exactly what it wants,” according to Israel Radio.

The deal, announced early Sunday morning, limits continued Iranian enrichment of uranium to 5 percent in exchange for eased sanctions.

Diplomats refused to spell out details of the talks, but a senior Obama administration official said that the West had not conceded an Iranian right to produce nuclear fuel through uranium enrichment, a key sticking point in previous negotiations.

Iranian Foreign Minister said the deal did recognize Iran’s right to enrich, an assessment Liberman agreed with.

The White House official said the deal included an agreement that Iran would halt progress on its nuclear program, including a plutonium reactor at the Arak facility. The deal also calls on Iran to neutralize its 20-percent-enriched uranium stockpiles. Tehran has also agreed to intrusive inspections under the terms of the deal.

However, Liberman slammed the deal as not going far enough, since it does not dismantle the nuclear facilities.

“They have enough uranium to make a few bombs already,” he said.

Israel believes Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon.

In recent weeks, Israel had warned the emerging deal would give Iran too much relief from economic sanctions without halting Iran’s march toward a nuclear bomb.

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