Israeli PM reiterates opposition to partial deal with Iran

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Israeli PM reiterates opposition to partial deal with Iran

(Xinhua) 08:10, November 18, 2013

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday voiced his opposition to a partial deal with Iran over its controversial nuclear program, days before the world powers resume talks with the Islamic republic.

"I think the problem with a partial deal is that you reduce the sanctions," said Netanyahu in a television interview on CNN's State of the Union program aired Sunday.

Netanyahu has vehemently opposed the idea of eased sanctions in exchange for Iran's limiting of its nuclear activities, as floated by the so-called P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany.

"And in this case, you reduce the sanctions, let out a lot of pressure and Iran is practically giving away nothing," said the Israeli Prime Minister, echoing a sentiment shared by many on Capitol Hill, where some senators are joining their peers in the lower house in clamoring for tougher sanctions on Iran to rev up the pressure.

In a sharp disagreement with Israel, U.S. President Barack Obama and his top aides are defending a phased deal with Iran, warning other options mean war with "unintended consequences."

"My message to Congress has been that let's see if this short- term, phase-one deal can be completed to our satisfaction," Obama said at a White House press conference Thursday, advising against fresh sanctions on Iran for now.

Iran and the P5+1 will resume negotiations on Nov. 20 in Geneva, Switzerland, after intensive talks there on Nov. 7-9 failed to produce a deal amid hyped expectations.

A report released Thursday by the International Atomic Energy Agency showed that Iran has stopped expanding its uranium enrichment capacity since Hassan Rouhani took the presidency in August.

"We can buy some additional months in terms of their breakout capacity. Let's test how willing they are to actually resolve this diplomatically and peacefully," Obama said Thursday. "No matter how good our military is, military options are always messy, are always difficult, always have unintended consequences, and in this situation are never complete in terms of making us certain that they don't then go out and pursue even more vigorously nuclear weapons in the future."

Netanyahu also said he prefers a diplomatic solution as well.

"I prefer a peaceful solution," he told CNN. "Who wouldn't? Israel has the most to gain from a peaceful diplomatic solution because we're on the firing line anyway you look at it."

He said reduced sanctions would probably bring investors, companies and countries back to Iran for deals, endangering the sanctions regime in place that has paralyzed the Iranian economy.

"If you give it up now, when you have that pressure, and Iran doesn't even take apart, dismantle one centrifuge, what leverage will you have when you've eased the pressure?" said the prime minister. "It just doesn't make sense."

"I think, if you want a peaceful solution, as I do, then the right thing to do is ratchet up the sanctions," he said.

The Israeli leader called the proposal on table "an exceedingly bad deal," saying he does not "advocate partial deals."

"If you want to do a partial deal, then decide what the final deal is, and then do one step," he said. "Decide that the final deal will actually implement the very terms that you, the P5+1, have put in the (UN) Security Council resolution. Namely, that Iran dismantle all its centrifuges and the plutonium reactor, which are used only for one thing: to make nuclear weapons."