Pages

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Netanyahu: World Powers Too Soft Over Iran's Nuclear Program

Israel's prime minister thinks that world powers are being too soft over Iran's nuclear program, AP reports. Netanyahu spoke Tuesday at a security conference at Tel Aviv University.

"After several rounds of talks, the Iranians were only asked to stop low level enrichment of uranium," Netanyahu said. "They are proceeding all the time with their plans to develop nuclear bombs."

The Jerusalem post, that carried a live-stream from the INSS conference reports, that Netanyahu said it is not enough for Iran to stop enriching uranium to 20 percent. Uranium enriched to 3.5% is "a lower number," but represents a "large proportion of the uranium" that Iran possesses and which could be used for a bomb.

In essence, Netanyahu argued that removing 20% enriched uranium would reduce the quality of Iran's uranium, but that when it comes to producing uranium for a bomb, quantity is very important.

Meanwhile, Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper has reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is threatening to "act independently" if negotiations between the West and Iran fail. 

The newspaper quoted Netanyahu as saying that the "best scenario" would be for the Americans to do the job, "but if it became clear" to his government that there would be no results from the international efforts, "we will have no choice but to do what is necessary to protect the Jewish people and the population of the State of Israel." 

In a formal statement from the Prime Minister's Office, Netanyahu said that Israel reserves the right to work against the Iranian threat. He has not, however, "made a decision yet".