Report: Netanyahu to warn UN against Iran deal
Israeli official informs New York Times that prime minister's UNGA speech will address deal regarding Iran's nuclear program as trap, equate it with diplomatic efforts with North Korea
According to the Times, an Israeli official reported that Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly is to present the terms for what would be acceptable to Israel in any agreement concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
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The terms reportedly include that Iran cease all enrichment of uranium and agree to the removal of all enriched uranium from its territory; dismantle its nuclear facility hidden in a mountain near the holy city of Qum; dismantle its newest generation of centrifuges at the Natanz facility; and stop construction of a heavy-water reactor at Arak.
The Israeli official reportedly told the Times that “A bad agreement is worse than no agreement at all; Iran must not be allowed to repeat North Korea’s ploy to get nuclear weapons.”
“Just like North Korea before it,” he added, “Iran professes to seemingly peaceful intentions; it talks the talk of nonproliferation while seeking to ease sanctions and buy more time for its nuclear program.”
Despite messages to the West wishing for a peace process and claiming his country was ready for negotiations, Rohani in a military parade Sunday displayed a new and improved arsenal of the Iranian Army. Among the displayed weapons were 12 of the surface-to-surface Sajjil, a missile that has a 2,000 kilometer (1,200-mile) range.
There were also Qadr-F and Qadr-H missiles, which have a similar range and capable of carrying "smart warhead" with "excessive explosive" power, according to the announcement in the parade.
The Israeli official said that Netanyahu would review the history of North Korea’s negotiations, with particular emphasis on an active period of diplomacy in 2005, when the North Korean government agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons program in return for economic, security and energy benefits, but a year later, tested its first nuclear device.
The analogy reflects Israeli officials' warnings that something similar could happen if the United States were to conclude too hasty a deal with Iran.
The Iranian President is scheduled to speak before the UNGA on Tuesday, several hours after US President Barack Obama, and PM Netanyahu is scheduled to speak on Tuesday of the following week.
Hassan Rohani said he hoped to use this week's annual UN General Assembly gathering to win Western promises to restart stalled talks over Tehran's nuclear program. Rohani is urging the US and allies to ease sanctions to move ahead the negotiations.
The official IRNA news agency quotes Rohani as saying Monday before he left for the UN that the West should choose the "path of interaction, talks and leniency, so we can reach joint interests."
Smadar Perry, Yedioth Ahronoth correspondent, AP contributed to this article
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