Reuters/Montreux, Switzerland
Iran yesterday rejected as “unacceptable” US President Barack Obama’s demand that it freeze sensitive nuclear activities for at least 10 years but said it would continue talks on a deal, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported.
Iran laid out the position as the US and Iranian foreign ministers met for a second day of negotiations and as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a stinging critique of the agreement that they are trying to work out.
Iran’s Mohamed Javad Zarif and the US’ John Kerry met a day after Obama told Reuters that Iran must commit to a verifiable halt of at least 10 years on sensitive nuclear work for a landmark atomic deal to be reached.
“Iran will not accept excessive and illogical demands,” Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif was quoted as saying by Fars.
“Obama’s stance ... is expressed in unacceptable and threatening phrases ... ,” he reportedly said, adding that talks with Kerry in Switzerland would nonetheless carry on.
The aim of the negotiations is to persuade Iran to restrain its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from sanctions that have crippled the oil exporter’s economy, thereby reducing the risk of war over the protracted stand-off.
The US and some of its allies, notably Israel, suspect Iran of using its civil nuclear programme as a cover to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Iran denies this, saying it is for peaceful purposes such as generating electricity.
Speaking before the US Congress in Washington, Netanyahu warned Obama against accepting a nuclear deal with Iran that would be a “countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare” by a country that “will always be an enemy of America”.
“If the deal now being negotiated is accepted by Iran, that deal will not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons - it will all but guarantee that Iran will get those nuclear weapons lots of them,” the Israeli leader said in a 39-minute point-by-point critique of Obama’s Iran diplomacy.
Kerry and Zarif held three rounds of talks in the Swiss lakeside town of Montreux, negotiating during most of Netanyahu’s extended criticism of their efforts in Washington.
Netanyahu wants the Iranians stripped of nuclear projects that might be used to get a bomb. Washington deems the Israeli demand unrealistic.
Netanyahu offers ‘no plan’ on Iran: US official
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to offer an alternative in his speech to the US Congress on the ongoing nuclear talks with Iran, a senior US administration official said yesterday.
“Simply demanding that Iran completely capitulate is not a plan, nor would any country support us in that position. The prime minister offered no concrete action plan,” the official said, speaking on background.
Netanyahu warned Congress against accepting a deal with Iran that President Barack Obama and his administration are deeply invested in negotiating, arguing that the deal would leave Iran with a “breakout time” of a year, which he said was too short.
