Israel: Iran Deal Allows Infrastructure Only Necessary for Nuclear Weapons

Netanyahu is vocal in challenging Iran nuclear deal. Illustrative. Photo Courtesy of UN-Photo/Marco Castro

Netanyahu is vocal in challenging Iran nuclear deal. Illustrative. Photo Courtesy of UN-Photo/Marco Castro

Israel is not opposed to Iran having nuclear power—as long as its for civilian use only. But the nuclear deal with Iran being debated among leaders in Washington will give Iran much more capability than that, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The deal with Iran allows it to keep and expand a formidable nuclear infrastructure that is completely unnecessary for civilian nuclear purposes, but is entirely necessary for the production of nuclear weapons,” said the Israeli leader Saturday evening.

In comments released by his office from a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Netanyahu said that within 13 years, the deal will give Iran “the ability to make as many centrifuges as they want, enrich as much uranium as they want to whatever level that they want.”

Nuclear programs use centrifuges to enrich uranium to produce nuclear fuel. Lower levels are needed for civilian programs and research, while higher levels of uranium enrichment is used for nuclear weapons.

American acceptance of the nuclear deal signed between Iran and the major world powers is set to be voted upon in the US Congress, which leaves open the possibility that the deal could still collapse, at least partly.

Though the agreement’s intention was to allow Iran to develop a civilian nuclear program while preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons, Israel and a number of American lawmakers are concerned that the restrictions in the deal aren’t strong enough. Hence, Israel is making a continued public relations push to scuttle the disconcerting deal. And the threat of an Iran that uses the deal to obtain nuclear weapons is very serious.

“The savagery of the Islamic State of ISIS [ISIL] captures the world’s attention, and justifiably so,” said Netanyahu. “But I believe that a far more serious threat is posed by another Islamic state, the Islamic State of Iran, and specifically its pursuit of nuclear weapons… this [deal] will put the Iranian Islamic state that practices terrorism worldwide, it will put it on the threshold of an entire nuclear arsenal.”

(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, August 30, 2015)

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