Israel Seeing World Powers ‘Retreat from Red Lines’ in Iran Nuke Talks

Really moderate, or just for show? Iranian President Rouhani. Illustrative. FEMA/Marty Bahamonde.

Really moderate, or just for show? Iranian President Rouhani. Illustrative. FEMA/Marty Bahamonde.

The Iranian nuclear talks are not expected to meet their June 30 deadline according to the BBC, but that doesn’t seem to discourage the teams negotiating yet. Iran’s support for terrorism and its human rights abuses doesn’t seem to be impacting the world powers either in this all-important nuclear deal, and Israel’s leader is concerned the already “bad agreement” is “becoming worse by the day.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in comments released by his office, highlighted Iran’s dismal human rights record per the latest American report to slam the Islamic Republic, following the recent report showing their ongoing support for global terrorism. What’s worse, Netanyahu said that not only has that record not factored into the negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, but the world powers are believed to be offering even more concessions to Iran than before.

“There is no demand that Iran change its behavior and its violations are being completely overlooked,” said Netanyahu on Sunday. “Its extreme demands, as well as the concessions to Iran, are increasing. We see before our very eyes a pronounced retreat from the red lines which were recently declared—in public—by the major powers.”

The BBC reported Sunday that an anonymous US senior official confirmed the talks with Iran—which seek restrictions and supervision of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief for Iran—will go a little beyond the June 30 deadline. How long beyond was not specified.

The BBC highlighted multiple points of disagreement, which reportedly include United Nations inspections of Iran’s nuclear program and how quickly Iranian sanctions are to be removed.

Netanyahu argued that the US reports—which label Iran as an egregious human rights offender and proliferator of terrorism—challenge the claim that Iran’s regime has changed following the election of the supposedly more moderate Hassan Rouhani as president.

Said Netanyahu, “Iran tramples on human rights, disseminates terrorism and is preparing a vast military infrastructure while the talks with it—despite the foregoing reports—continue as usual.”

While Netanyahu has serious concerns about the talks, he said there is still hope to achieve a better deal with Iran.

Said the Israeli leader, “It is still not too late to go back and insist on demands that will genuinely deny Iran the ability to arm itself with nuclear weapons and prevent it from receiving vast sums to finance its aggression, its spreading out and the terrorist onslaught that it is pushing throughout the world.”

(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastudpate.com, June 28, 2015)

 

 

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