Netanyahu met with Kerry at the airport on Friday morning, just before Kerry was to continue on to Geneva to join the talks between Iran and the Western countries.
The meeting was described as "tense" with Netanyahu saying before it that Israel vehemently opposes the apparent deal that seems to come into play on the Iranian nuclear plan.
"I hear that the Iranians are walking in Geneva with a smile on their faces, and they have good reason for it," Netanyahu said, according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office.
"They got everything they wanted and gave nothing. They'll get a decrease in sanctions but they won't reduce their enrichment capabilities, so Iran got the deal of the century," the prime minister added.
"Israel rejects this plan completely... Israel will not be committed to such an agreement and will do whatever is necessary to protect itself," he said.
Netanyahu also tied that sentiment to the peace process with the Palestinians, and said that Israel, on this topic as well, will "not compromise on its safety and vital interests up against international pressure."
"No amount of pressure will make me or the Israeli government compromise on the security and national interests of Israel," he said in that respect.
Kerry expanded his stay in the Mideast on Thursday to try and salvage the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but decided to join world powers in Geneva after an invitation by the European Union's Foreign Policy Chief, Catherine Ashton.
Kerry's eighth visit to the region started on Wednesday with shuttle diplomacy between Jerusalem and Ramallah to overcome major roadblocks in the talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
Another topic on the agenda was the Iranian nuclear plan, with Israel insisting on the need to keep sanctions intact so Iran will back off from developing nuclear capabilities. xinhuanet.com
8/11/13
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Iran close to preliminary nuclear deal with world powers.
Al Arabiya
Iran and the world powers appeared headed Friday towards a
preliminary nuclear deal that would see some of its atomic activities
lifted in exchange for a limited removal of sanctions stifling its
economy.
Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state TV that the six - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - “clearly said that they accept the proposed framework by Iran.” He later told CNN that he thinks negotiators at the table are now “ready to start drafting” an accord that outlines specific steps to be taken, Associated Press reported.
Though Araghchi described the negotiations as “very difficult,” he told Iranian state TV that he expected agreement on details by Friday, the last scheduled round of the current talks. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Geneva on Friday in an effort to help secure a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, a senior U.S. State Department official said.
“Secretary Kerry will travel to Geneva, Switzerland on Friday at the invitation of EU High Representative (Catherine) Ashton in an effort to help narrow differences in negotiations,” the official said, according to Reuters.
In an interview with NBC News on Thursday U.S. President Barack Obama that an interim deal with Iran on its nuclear program would provide Iran only “very modest relief” from the sanctions.
“We don’t have to trust them. What we have to do is to make sure that there is a good deal in place from the perspective of us verifying what they’re doing,” Obama said.
“There is the possibility of a phased agreement in which the first phase would be us, you know, halting any advances on their nuclear program, rolling some potential back, and putting in place ... some very modest relief, but keeping the sanctions architecture in place.”
The president said that if necessary such limited relief from sanctions could be reversed if it was judged Iran was not living up to its end of the bargain.
“If they’re not willing to go forward and finish the job of giving us assurances that they’re not developing a nuclear weapon, we can crank that dial back up,” Obama said.
Reports from Geneva, where Iranian negotiators are in talks with key world powers including the United States, suggest an interim deal will include limits on Iran’s enrichment capacity, verification steps and restrictions on its stockpiles of atomic material and its nuclear facilities, AFP reported.
Such an agreement would be designed to build confidence on both sides with a view to concluding a final deal that would verifiably convince the West that Iran is not building nuclear weapons. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to reports of the close agreement saying in a Twitter post: “If the news from Geneva is true, this is the deal of the century for #Iran.” Netanyahu had launched a campaign on twitter to uncover “The Real face of Iran” coinciding with the ongoing talks in Geneva.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/11/08/Iran-close-to-preliminary-nuclear-deal-with-world-powers.html 8/11/13
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- Kerry: No nuclear deal with Iran yet, important gaps remain...
GENEVA - Iran and six world powers have not reached any deal yet that would end Tehran's decade-long standoff with the West over its nuclear program, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday.
"I want to emphasize there is not an agreement at this point," Kerry told reporters shortly after arriving in Geneva. "I don't think anybody should mistake that there are some important gaps that have to be closed."
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Kerry-No-nuclear-deal-with-Iran-yet-important-gaps-remain-331004
8/11/13
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