Israel slams Iran nuclear deal

Israel slammed agreement between Iran and the six world powers over Tehran`s controversial programme, saying country is not bound by the "bad deal" based on Iranian "deception" and "self-delusion".

Jerusalem: Israel on Sunday slammed the landmark agreement reached between Iran and the six world powers over Tehran`s controversial programme, saying the country is not bound by the "bad deal" based on Iranian "deception" and "self-delusion".
"Israel does not see itself as bound by this bad, this very bad agreement that has been signed," Israel`s Economic Minister Naftali Bennett, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu`s security Cabinet, told the Army Radio.

Israel`s Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz, who is responsible for monitoring Iran`s nuclear programme, denounced welcoming responses from different sections of the international community saying "there is no reason for the world to be celebrating".

"The deal, reached in Geneva early Sunday, is based on Iranian deception and self-delusion," Steinitz emphasised.

Netanyahu is expected to discuss the matter later today at the weekly cabinet meeting and sources said that he would also have a a phone conversation with US President Barack Obama, who has hailed the deal.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the Geneva deal required Netanyahu government to conduct a strategic review.

Asked on whether he felt cheated by the United States for its role in the deal, Lieberman merely responded by saying, "Heaven forbid".

However, despite the tough talk against the deal, Israeli ministers and officials were reluctant to issue any threats of a unilateral military action against Iran to foil its nuclear ambitions.

Israel has dubbed the Iranian nuclear programme an "existential threat" vowing to not let it succeed "keeping all options open on the table".

Tehran struck an historic deal yesterday with P-6, agreeing to a temporary freeze of its nuclear programme in the most significant agreement with the United States with which it has had three decades of estrangement.

Iran has committed to curb its nuclear activities for six months in exchange for limited and gradual sanctions relief in the deal.

He six month period will give diplomats time to negotiate a more sweeping agreement.

Aimed at ending a dangerous standoff, the agreement was reached after more than four days of tortuous negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva.

Iran, which has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, has also committed to stop uranium enrichment above a fissile purity of 5 percent.

This however has failed to satisfy Israel which has sought a total rollback of the Iranian nuclear programme.

"You stand and shout out until you`re blue in the face, and you try to understand why they`re not listening. The world wanted an agreement," Finance Minister Yair Lapid, also a member of Netanyahu`s security cabinet, told Israel`s Army Radio.

"We also said that a diplomatic accord would be good. A diplomatic accord is certainly better than war, a diplomatic accord is better than a situation of permanent confrontation - just not this agreement," Lapid added.

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