USA TODAY International Edition
U. S. vows not to sign ‘ bad deal’ over Iran
Israel, France unhappy with nuke negotiations, accuse U. S. of easing up
The United States JERUSALEM vowed Monday it would not cave to Iran in negotiations over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program despite charges from Israel and France that negotiators were proposing to let Iran maintain its nuclear capacity.
U. S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro vowed Monday that President Obama would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and that the United States would not sign on to a “bad deal” at negotiations with Iran tipped to restart later this month.
Speaking at the Jewish Federations of North American General Assembly in Jerusalem, Shapiro drove home his point by repeating it in Hebrew, according to the Jerusalem
Post.
He said the U. S. would not “squander” the leverage of Western economic sanctions on Iran, which wants those sanctions removed. Shapiro said that no deal on Iran’s atomic program would be better than a bad deal.
His comments came as the United Nation’s nuclear chief reached a deal Monday to allow expanded monitoring of Iran’s nuclear sites, including at a planned reactor, but not an agreement to dismantle its ability to make material for nuclear weapons as the U. S. Security Council has demanded.
Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday again defended U. S. efforts with Iran, saying that the major powers were unified on an Iran nuclear deal during weekend talks in Geneva, but the Iranians did not accept it.
Speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi, Kerry lashed out at opponents to the proposal. Among them are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told Kerry on Friday that the proposed deal gave Iran all it wants on sanctions and did nothing to end Iran’s ability to make a nuclear bomb.
“The time to oppose it is when you see what it is, not to oppose the effort to find out what is possible,” Kerry said. “We are confident that what we are doing can actually protect Israel more effectively and provide greater security.”
Kerry’s statement appeared to contradict the stance of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who told France Inter radio that Paris would not accept a “sucker’s deal.” France announced over the weekend that it did not support the proposal backed by the U. S. because it did not adequately address security concerns of Iran’s neighbor.
That was the reason given by Netanyahu for his opposition to the proposal. Not waiting for the proposal to be announced by Kerry as a done deal, Netanyahu, apparently aware of the contours of the proposal, came out publicly to say it would imperil its very existence because it did not guarantee the end of Iran’s nuclear bomb capabilities.
Aaron David Miller, a former U. S. peace negotiator, said the rift may cause problems on multiple fronts, including a risk of dragging the U. S. into war with Iran. “I find it almost unimaginable this administration would conclude even an interim agreement with ( Iranian President Hassan) Rouhani that left Israel angry and aggrieved and the relationship in even worse shape,” he said.