Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed calls for Iran’s entire nuclear infrastructure to be dismantled, even as indirect negotiations continue between the United States and Iran for a potential nuclear accord.
Speaking in Jerusalem, Netanyahu insisted that the only acceptable deal would mirror the 2003 Libya agreement, which led to Tripoli abandoning its nuclear, chemical, biological, and missile programmes.
“We are in close contact with the United States,” Netanyahu said at a conference hosted by the Jewish News Syndicate. “But I said, one way or the other, Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”
Netanyahu confirmed that he had pressed President Trump for a new agreement to also curb Iran’s ballistic missile development, which remains a key sticking point in negotiations.
Israeli officials have long maintained that they will act to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed state — a position Netanyahu once again underlined.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi struck a defiant tone on Monday, stating Tehran would resist any attempts to impose conditions on its foreign policy.
Writing on X, Araghchi criticised Netanyahu’s pressure on U.S. diplomacy, remarking, “What is striking (…) is how brazenly Netanyahu is now dictating what President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran.
Araghchi warned that any military strike on Iran would be met with immediate retaliation.
The US and Iran have so far held three rounds of indirect talks, mediated by Gulf state Oman, aimed at striking a deal that would prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon while easing the economic sanctions currently imposed by Washington.
Following talks in Rome earlier this month, Oman indicated that discussions were progressing towards an agreement that would leave Iran “completely free” of nuclear weapons and sanctions, while still allowing the country to maintain peaceful nuclear energy development.
