Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared before a U.S. Jewish organization meeting that any U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement must require the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, not merely suspension of uranium enrichment. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State said that Donald Trump prioritizes diplomacy, despite deploying two aircraft carriers near the Middle East.
On Sunday, 15 Feb 2021 GMT+7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he informed President Donald Trump last week that any agreement the U.S. makes with Iran must include the "complete dismantling of nuclear infrastructure," not just ordering a halt to uranium enrichment processes.
In a speech to the annual meeting of a major American Jewish organization, Netanyahu expressed skepticism about the negotiations but emphasized that if an agreement is reached, all enriched uranium must be removed from Iran. "There must be no enrichment capability left—not just stopping the process, but dismantling the equipment and infrastructure that would allow you to resume enrichment from scratch," he said.
He also addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, stating that Israel still needs to "complete the task" of destroying all tunnels, having already destroyed 150 kilometers out of an estimated total of about 500 kilometers.
This development comes as Iranian and U.S. officials prepare to hold a second round of talks in Switzerland on Tuesday. Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, stated that Iran is willing to consider compromises if the U.S. is open to discussing lifting sanctions.
However, Iran insists that "zero enrichment" is a red line they cannot accept, as they consider uranium enrichment a right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated in Slovakia that President Trump favors diplomatic and negotiation approaches over direct attacks. Nevertheless, the U.S. has deployed two aircraft carriers, including the largest warship ever, to the Middle East to deter threats.
At the Geneva talks, the U.S. sent Trump's close aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, to meet with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Rubio acknowledged, "No one has ever successfully made a deal with Iran before, but we will try."
Beyond the nuclear issue, Israel demands other critical conditions it deems necessary for global security, including controlling guided missiles that Iran uses to directly attack Israel—a topic Iran refuses to discuss—and cutting support to proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah in the Middle East.