IRAN-NUCLEAR/NETANYAHU-HAMMOND Israel's Netanyahu and UK's Hammond face off over Iran deal

Record ID: 146946

  • Title: IRAN-NUCLEAR/NETANYAHU-HAMMOND Israel's Netanyahu and UK's Hammond face off over Iran deal
  • Date: 16th July 2015
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (JULY 16, 2015) (REUTERS) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, PHILIP HAMMOND ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE ISRAELI FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING: "The deal agreed to in Vienna, I regret to say, paves this terrorist regime's path to the bomb. The alternative to this bad deal is not
  • Embargoed: 31st July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1HPM4I5GOE5B8VJ8C61UN5PVO
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: An on-camera, testy exchange between British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid bare on Thursday (July 16) tensions over the nuclear deal between foreign powers and Iran.
    A day after telling Britain's parliament that Israel would not have been satisfied with any accord with Iran, Hammond met with Netanyahu to try and calm fears over Tuesday's landmark deal, meant to curb Tehran's nuclear programme.
    "The deal agreed to in Vienna, I regret to say, paves this terrorist regime's path to the bomb. The alternative to this bad deal is not war. The alternative is a better deal that would roll back Iran's military nuclear program and tie the easing of restrictions on Iran's nuclear program to changes in Iran's behaviour. That's the kind of deal that would be welcomed in Tel Aviv and here in Israel's capital, Jerusalem," Netanyahu said.
    "Let me be clear, you said (referring to Prime Minister Netanyahu) we will lift the sanctions today, we will not lift any sanctions today, all of the sanctions relief in this agreement is conditional upon Iran having first met the requirements on it, to reduce its stockpiles, to dismantle centrifuges, to export its stocks of enriched uranium, Hammond answered Netanyahu.
    But their statements to reporters before their meeting began strayed from the routine, short diplomatic remarks to a full-on 20-minute face-off, in which both Netanyahu and Hammond appeared at times irate - and by the end amused.
    "We would have wanted to see a deal that says the following, 'Iran, you will get the easing of the restrictions of your nuclear power programme and you will get sanctions relief if you change your behaviour first'. In fact, there is no requirement for any change of behaviour on the part of Iran, which is what makes this deal so fundamentally flawed. And that's a subject I would like to discuss with you further upstairs if I may," Netanyahu said.
    "Well, I'm looking forward to that discussion Prime Minister, If I may, just respond briefly, I understand your concerns but we have always been clear that this deal was about the nuclear file, the sanctions regime is around Iran's illegal nuclear activities," Hammond added.
    Netanyahu reiterated his objections to the deal, saying it would allow Tehran eventually to obtain nuclear weapons whether by abiding by the agreement or "by cheating and overcoming a porous inspection mechanism."
    Sanction relief, he said, would fund Iranian aggression in the region. Israel is alarmed about Tehran backing its enemies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria and has accused Tehran in the past of being behind attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets abroad, allegations Iran has denied.
    But rather than end the photo-opportunity as scheduled Netanyahu chose to reply, "You want another bounce at the ball"?
    "Go on, Prime Minister I know you gonna have the last word anyway," Hammond answered.
    "I think what we've proved is that we don't need journalists to have a Q+A at a press conference", He added.
    Earlier, Hammond visited in the West Bank and met with the Palestinian leadership.
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