There is no evidence Tehran's serious about curbing nuclear program, senior Israeli official says, Herb Keinon reports.
The current round of negotiations between the world powers and Iran is “not working,” a senior Israeli official said Monday, adding that after two meetings there is “not an iota of evidence indicating the Iranians are in any way serious about curbing their nuclear program.” What the international community put on the table “is less than what is needed, and even those minimal demands were rejected by the Iranians.”
According to the official, the Iranians have succeeded in changing the world’s demands. “In the previous rounds of talks, when Iran was only enriching uranium up to three percent, the world’s demand was for a full halt to enrichment. Now that they are enriching up to 20%, there are those in the world saying they are able to accept a certain amount of enrichment,” he said.
“They are successfully playing for time,” the official said.
Netanyahu, in a meeting with senators Mark Udall (DColorado), Richard Burr (RNorth Carolina), Mark Warner (D-Virginia), and Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland), members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said the Iranians were playing “nuclear chess.” Tehran, he said, might decide to sacrifice a pawn – that is, give some concessions – in order to “keep their king,” which is defined in Jerusalem as Iran keeping its nuclear program intact.