Netanyahu to US: Don't negotiate 'bad deal' with Iran

Iran Press TV

Tue Mar 3, 2015 4:25PM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the United States not to negotiate "a very bad deal" with Iran over its nuclear energy program.

Speaking at a joint session of the US Congress in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, Netanyahu said, "We've been told for over a year that no deal is better than a bad deal. Well this is a bad deal, a very bad deal. We're better off without it."

Iran and the P5+1 group - Russia, China, France, Britain, the US and Germany – are negotiating to narrow their differences over the Islamic Republic's nuclear energy program ahead of a July 1 deadline.

Netanyahu stated that it is not true that "the only alternative to this deal is war."

"The alternative to this deal is a much better deal. A better deal that doesn't leave Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure and such a short breakout point," he added.

He said that the nuclear agreement would provide Iran "with a short breakout time for a bomb."

"According to the deal not a single [facility] would be demolished… because Iran's [facilities] would be left largely intact," he said.

"True, certain restrictions would be imposed on Iran's nuclear program, and Iran's adherence to those restrictions would be [monitored by international inspectors]," he added. "Inspectors document those restrictions, they don't stop them."

"So this deal won't change Iran for the better, it will only change the Middle East for the worst," he noted.

Netanyahu's controversial speech started on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. (local time). He was invited by US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner hours after President Barack Obama threatened to veto any sanctions legislation against Iran during his State of the Union address on January 20.

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies accuse Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Washington and its allies have imposed illegal sanctions on Iran based on the unfounded accusation that Tehran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear program.

Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the IAEA, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Iran's civilian nuclear program has been diverted to nuclear weapons production.

GJH/GJH