Netanyahu: Iran deal historic mistake

Jerusalem, Jul 14: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a nuclear deal concluded between major powers and Iran today was "a historic mistake for the world."

"In every area where it was supposed to prevent Iran attaining nuclear arms capability, there were huge compromises," his office quoted him as saying at the start of a meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders.

Netanyahu has long opposed any deal with Iran, and Israel has signalled it could take military action if need be to stop the Islamic republic from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability. He has taken his campaign to the US Congress and the UN General Assembly but ultimately failed to block the deal.

"You can't prevent an agreement when those negotiating it are prepared to make more and more concessions to those shouting 'Death to the United States' even as the talks are in progress," Netanyahu said today. "Iran will get hundreds of billions of dollars with which it will be able to fuel its terror machine," he said, referring to the expected lifting of crippling Western sanctions on its oil and banking sectors.

(AFP)