PM warns Europe against Iran: 'Don’t let them have enrichment'
Netanyahu holds interviews with European media outlets to warn against reducing sanctions to Islamic republic, urges world not to 'let a radical regime have awesome power'
In interviews with representatives from the Frankfurter Allgemeine, the French daily Le Monde, the British Financial Times; as well as the the German ARD television station, the French France-24 and the British Sky News, Netanyahu addressed the issue of nuclear Iran.
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Referring to a pictures in his office, one of Theodor Herzl, who warned against the "impending rise of anti-Semitism," and the other of Winston Churchill, who warned against the Nazis, the prime minister said the world mustn’t "let a radical regime have awesome power."
The prime minister addressed Iran's nuclear program, saying that the "violent" Iranian regime, which is "practicing terrorism… has violated every UN Security Council resolution to stop enrichment… is now smiling, and coming and saying, 'you know what, let us keep enrichment, let us keep my plutonium reactors, and I'll make some tactical, some cosmetic concessions. You reduce the sanctions.'"
Suggesting that the Islamic republic cannot be trusted, he noted: "So they get everything, and we collectively get nothing."
Netanyahu added that the danger posed by Iran was not only an Israeli problem, but also the problem of Europe and the entire world. He urged Europeans to take part in controlling Iran's nuclear program, saying "Don’t let them have enrichment. Be strong; be tough; be consistent.
"The right thing is not to fall into a trap."
The prime minister also asserted: "Don’t say I didn’t warn you."
Earlier this week, it was reported that Iran is preparing a package which could revitalize long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear program, but which falls short of a complete shutdown of uranium enrichment, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
According to the report, the Iranian proposals include an offer to stop enriching uranium to levels of 20% purity – a demand which Tehran has rejected in the past.
In return Iran will request that the US and European Union begin scaling back sanctions that have left it largely frozen out of the international financial system and isolated its oil industry.
Iran is also expected to offer to open the country's nuclear facilities to more intrusive international inspections, officials were quoted as saying. It is considering offering the closure of the Fordo underground facility.
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