Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett vowed on Sunday to continue acting against Iran’s nuclear program, according to local media.
“Whoever thinks an agreement will increase stability is wrong,” Bennett said in statements cited by The Jerusalem Post newspaper during a weekly cabinet meeting.
“Israel will maintain freedom of action in any situation, with or without an agreement,” he added.
The Israeli premier said that Tel Aviv is strengthening itself militarily against any possible threat from Iran.
The Ayatollah exploits these civil nuclear waivers to build up Iran’s nuclear program with the express intention of eventually developing nuclear weapons to inflict destruction on America and our allies. When he chants ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America,’ he means it. 5/x
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 5, 2022
The biggest “threat to the State of Israel is Iran,” Bennett warned.
Iran and P4+1 (Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany) held several rounds of talks in the Austrian capital, Vienna, to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal.
Under the agreement, Tehran has committed to limit its nuclear activity to civilian purposes and in return, world powers agreed to drop their economic sanctions against Iran.
Read more: US restores sanctions relief for Iran’s civil nuclear program
However, the US, under former President Donald Trump, unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to stop complying with the nuclear deal.
US direct nuclear talks with Iran
A senior US official said Monday that time was running out for nuclear negotiations with Iran and urged Tehran to agree to direct talks to help forge a deal.
Speaking on background, the official said that Iran’s nuclear program was nearing “breakout” toward nuclear weapons capability, leaving just “weeks” to reach a deal that would put the program on hold and ease sanctions on the country.
“I think we’re at the point where some of the most critical political decisions have to be made by all sides” in the talks to revive the 2015 deal involving Iran, the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, the official said.
Read more: Denmark convicts Iranian separatist group of spying for Saudi Arabia
“If our goal is to reach an understanding quickly… the optimal way to do that, in any negotiation, is for the parties that have the most at stake to meet directly,” the official said, referring to the United States and Iran.
“That’s been our view from the outset: we’re prepared to meet with Iran if they’re prepared to meet with us.”
Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk