Temporary nuclear agreement with Iran 'unacceptable', Netanyahu says
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the United States reaching an interim nuclear deal with Iran would not fly for "Tel Aviv".
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in occupied Al-Quds, occupied Palestine, June 18, 2023 (AP)
"Israel" does not accept any nuclear agreement with Iran, including one that is narrow and provisional in scope, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, noting that the leadership clarified to "Tel Aviv's" "American friends" its stance on the issue.
Netanyahu's words came in during a tour of the Israel Aerospace Industries plant nearby the Ben Gurion airport, where he said he was "highly impressed" by the occupation's security and offensive capacities.
The premier's statements come after Israeli media reported that understandings were being reached between Washington and Tehran seeking to impose restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.
The United States denied such a deal, and the reports are yet to be confirmed.
Reuters reported on Friday that the United States is in talks with Iran to reach an "understanding" regarding the Islamic Republic's nuclear peaceful program and securing a prisoner exchange deal, as well as the release of some of Iran's assets abroad that were frozen due to Washington's unilateral sanctions.
Read more: US trying to end what Iran is not even trying to start: nukes
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani highlighted earlier in the week that Iran never abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) revival negotiations table, stressing that Tehran continues its diplomatic efforts to end US-led sanctions.
But Kanaani also denied talks with the US on the basis of an "interim nuclear agreement," suggesting that any deal with Washington will be on the sidelines of the JCPOA and would not end Iran's pursuit of a peaceful nuclear program.
Read more: Khamenei urges vigilance but open to conditioned nuclear agreement
The JCPOA, which the United States unilaterally pulled out from n 2018 under former President Donald Trump despite it being internationally legally recognized, saw a severe setback as Trump released a "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran and exponentially issued new sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic.
Washington's withdrawal has also impacted its European allies, especially the guarantors of the agreement, as the bloc placed hopes that an agreement would give it access to the energy-rich country and also use its territory as transit toward Central Asian markets.
Earlier, the administration of US President Joe Biden also dismissed reports of an interim deal, using carefully chosen statements that might suggest Washington's desire to reach a less formal "understanding" that would help circumvent a congressional review process.
Chairman of US House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican, told Biden that "any arrangement or understanding with Iran, even informal, requires submission to Congress."
