Secret US-Iran Deal Cause for Concern

Secretary of State John Kerry addresses the media in Geneva, Switzerland at the conclusion of the P5+1 Talks on Iran’s Nuclear Program earlier this month.

“Wisdom is better than strength.” (Ecclesiastes 9:16)

Nuclear talks designed to place restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program will resume today between Iran and the P5+1 in Geneva.

It is the third round of negotiations in a month, and they are taking place nearly two weeks after an accord that would Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for the easing of sanctions was almost reached.

Of the six P5+1 world powers at the last meeting—the US, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany—France alone objected when the US brought forward the deal, claiming that the terms were “too soft” on Tehran.

“For France, as long as we don’t have certainty Iran will renounce nuclear weapons, we will maintain all our demands and the sanctions,” French President François Hollande said. “France will not tolerate nuclear proliferation.” (The Brookings Institution)

Israel rolled out the red carpet for French President Francois Hollande (center) on Sunday. Walking with him on his left is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and on his right is President Shimon Peres.

Iran, which has repeatedly threatened to annihilate Israel, is thought to have 18,500 centrifuges to make enriched uranium for nuclear bombs. Israel seeks to have the centrifuges removed as part of a negotiated settlement.

Since the questionable deal does not require Iran to give up all uranium enrichment and/or halt work on a plutonium facility, it gives Iran legitimacy to become a nuclear-threshold state, which does not bode well for the international community.

The negotiations have been criticized by Israeli newscasters, who said Sunday that a deal had already been decided between Iran and the United States after a year of secret talks.

“I think a lot is being offered by the P5+1 for Iran,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said recently. “It’s getting just an enormous deal, from their point of view, and it’s giving practically nothing in return. They’re keeping their infrastructure to make nuclear bombs.”

Iran’s IR-40 Heavy Water Reactor in Arak is expected to produce sufficient high purity plutonium for one to two nuclear weapons every year.

Yesterday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif indicated that the deal is viewed favorably by Iran, saying that the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program can now be resolved if world powers seize the opportunity to close the deal.

Nevertheless, on Monday, at a Jerusalem press conference while Hollande was visiting at the Prime Minister’s official residence, Netanyahu warned that “Iran’s dream deal is the world’s worst nightmare.”

“Every day that passes, Iran is placed under greater economic pressure.With patience, with determination, it’s possible to get a good deal,” Netanyahu emphasized.

“That means keeping the pressure and ratcheting up the pressure, getting a deal that dismantles Iran’s military nuclear capacity, that gets them to dismantle their centrifuges and dismantle their plutonium heavy water reactor,” he said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

Meanwhile, in the US, the American Administration has been making a concerted effort to persuade Congress to impose no new sanctions on Iran.

To counter those efforts, Naftali Bennett, Israel’s economy minister, was in the United States this week to convince Washington to refrain from weakening the very sanctions that brought Iran to the negotiating table.

In the past, Iran strategically used negotiations to buy time to become a nuclear power, but bitter sanctions now have Iran seeking relief.

“There is no party that wants a deal more than Israel, but it has to be a good deal to prevent war,” Bennett told an audience in New York this Sunday. “Iran is the world’s biggest exporter of terror, from Kazakhstan to Thailand to Israel. Iran is not Switzerland. We have to be tough. This is not the time to let up.” (Haaretz)

In an effort to defuse the tensions that seem to be building between the US and Israel over the deal, Netanyahu told CNN on Sunday:

“John Kerry is an old friend of mine and a friend of Israel, and he is making an effort to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians. I want to make clear that there can be disagreements even between the best of friends, especially on issues related to our fate and future.” (Haaretz)