Netanyahu urges no return to Iran nuclear deal

 

FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens during a joint statement with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem, November 19, 2020. Maya Alleruzzo/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an apparent message to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, said on Sunday there should be no return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal abandoned by President Donald Trump.

 

Biden, who takes office on Jan. 20, has said he would rejoin the accord if Tehran first resumed strict compliance, and would work with allies "to strengthen and extend it, while more effectively pushing back against Iran's other destabilising activities".

 

The agreement, which world powers reached with Iran, sought to limit Tehran's nuclear programme to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons in return for the easing of economic sanctions.

 

But the deal, abandoned by Trump in 2018, did not restrict Iran's ballistic missile programme nor its support for militia in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, which Washington sees as destabilising to the Middle East.

 

"There must be no return to the previous nuclear agreement. We must stick to an uncompromising policy to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said in a speech in southern Israel.

 

He did not mention Biden directly, but his comments were widely interpreted by Israeli media as a message to the incoming president not to bring the United States back into the agreement.

 

Netanyahu was a strong opponent of the 2015 accord, calling it a "very bad deal" in an address that year to the U.S. Congress that further strained his relationship with Trump's Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.

 

European powers party to the agreement, along with Russia and China, have been trying to hold the deal together despite U.S. pressure for sweeping sanctions against Iran over breaches it declared in response to Washington's pullout.

 

Iran denies that its atomic programme is aimed at developing weapons.

 

(Reporting by Jeffrey Heller; editing by Barbara Lewis)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-11-23

 

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.........meanwhile in the occupied territories....................Hypocrite!

"Netanyahu urges no return to Iran nuclear deal"...  Meanwhile, Israelis urge placing Netanyahu in prison for corruption. 

Hypocrite and warmonger.

If Biden wants to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, he should re-join the deal. It was working. Get the most dangerous element out of the way.

 

Then in separate negotiations, tackle other issues with a comprehensive peace conference for the whole region.

Netanyahu, like Trump, wants to lump all the conditions into a single deal because he knows Iran won't accept a ban on missile testing to defend itself, nor curb Hezbollah that defends Lebanon, Syria and Palestinians from Israel. 

Netanyahu wants to maintain the status quo so that he can crush Iran without offering any concessions himself.

 

How about a nuclear free Middle East? Hypocritically Israel is the only nuclear power in the region, and not a very responsible one at that, having offered its nuclear weapons for sale to other countries.

31 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

Hypocrite and warmonger.

Yes, isn't it so much better to have the Middle East on a knife edge with the threat of nuclear war hanging over it?

 

I am no apologist for the Revolutionary Guards of Iran but if the West was prepared to do a deal with Stalin (a far bigger killer than even Hitler), then the EU and USA should be able to do a deal with Iran.

Strange "urge" on the face of it. Trump's efforts have done nothing more than inflict hardship on a population that has become more embittered and as a result greater resolve by the hard line  factions to retaliate.

Does Netanyahu desire another bigger war on behalf of Israelis?

Given that Iran has steadily been developing missile capacity Israel is directly vulnerable and would unlikely be  supported in the use of the nuclear weapons they are now  openly known to possess.

 

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Netanyahu urges no return to Iran nuclear deal

 

FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens during a joint statement with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem, November 19, 2020. Maya Alleruzzo/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an apparent message to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, said on Sunday there should be no return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal abandoned by President Donald Trump.

 

Biden, who takes office on Jan. 20, has said he would rejoin the accord if Tehran first resumed strict compliance, and would work with allies "to strengthen and extend it, while more effectively pushing back against Iran's other destabilising activities".

 

The agreement, which world powers reached with Iran, sought to limit Tehran's nuclear programme to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons in return for the easing of economic sanctions.

 

But the deal, abandoned by Trump in 2018, did not restrict Iran's ballistic missile programme nor its support for militia in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, which Washington sees as destabilising to the Middle East.

 

"There must be no return to the previous nuclear agreement. We must stick to an uncompromising policy to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said in a speech in southern Israel.

 

He did not mention Biden directly, but his comments were widely interpreted by Israeli media as a message to the incoming president not to bring the United States back into the agreement.

 

Netanyahu was a strong opponent of the 2015 accord, calling it a "very bad deal" in an address that year to the U.S. Congress that further strained his relationship with Trump's Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.

 

European powers party to the agreement, along with Russia and China, have been trying to hold the deal together despite U.S. pressure for sweeping sanctions against Iran over breaches it declared in response to Washington's pullout.

 

Iran denies that its atomic programme is aimed at developing weapons.

 

(Reporting by Jeffrey Heller; editing by Barbara Lewis)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-11-23

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

As the immortal Mandy Rice Burrows said " Well, he would wouldn't he?"

Only if Israel surrenders its own nuclear arsenal. Bloody hypocrites.

Butt out Bibl.

If Iran is willing to negotiate in good faith, perhaps a big if, then negotiate with them.

That said President Elect Biden has a lot on his plate. I somehow doubt that Iran policy will be on the front burner unless events force that.

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Butt out Bibl.

If Iran is willing to negotiate in good faith, perhaps a big if, then negotiate with them.

That said President Elect Biden has a lot on his plate. I somehow doubt that Iran policy will be on the front burner unless events force that.

Antony Blinken is the new Secretary of State. Really like the guy. Biden should stay home and leave it to him, much as Pompeo has done recently. Do this and Israel/Palestine could go back to the top of the agenda. He could be the new Kissinger.

 

The problem is that Trump has done so much damage to both relations with Palestine and Iran, will they ever trust any US envoy again?

 

 

Edited November 23, 20205 yr by polpott

The issue is that trump has shown no one can trust the US to keep its word. That a bridge too far and will take many years to overcome.

 

Also, bibi, you do not dictate US foreign policy.

9 minutes ago, polpott said:

Antony Blinken is the new Secretary of State. Really like the guy. Biden should stay home and leave it to him, much as Pompeo has done recently. Do this and Israel/Palestine could go back to the top of the agenda. He could be the new Kissinger.

 

The problem is that Trump has done so much damage to both relations with Palestine and Iran, will they ever trust any US envoy again?

 

 

No. Israel Palestine conflict will not be high on the Biden agenda! Neither side there is really interested so why should the US bother anymore? I do agree that Blinken sounds very good though. 

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Neither side there is really interested so why should the US bother anymore?

Its close to Blinken's heart and he has history with Netanyahu. Could be his personal pet project. Much as it was for Kissinger.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blinken

 

"Blinken was born to Jewish parents, Judith and Donald M. Blinken on April 16, 1962.[5][6] He attended the Dalton School in New York City until 1971, when he moved to Paris, France, where he attended École Jeannine Manuel.[7] He moved there with his divorced mother and her new husband, attorney Samuel Pisar, who had survived both the Auschwitz and Dachau camps in the Holocaust"

 

                                                                      

 

7 minutes ago, polpott said:

Its close to Blinken's heart and he has history with Netanyahu. Could be his personal pet project. Much as it was for Kissinger.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blinken

 

"Blinken was born to Jewish parents, Judith and Donald M. Blinken on April 16, 1962.[5][6] He attended the Dalton School in New York City until 1971, when he moved to Paris, France, where he attended École Jeannine Manuel.[7] He moved there with his divorced mother and her new husband, attorney Samuel Pisar, who had survived both the Auschwitz and Dachau camps in the Holocaust"

 

                                                                      

 

Irrelevant. 

Again  neither Israel or the Palestinian.side is really interested.

Let them stew in it.

Expecting miracles is insane.

Edited November 23, 20205 yr by Jingthing

Just now, Jingthing said:

Irrelevant. 

Aren't we all? 555