OBAMA: ISRAEL RECOGNITION NOT PART OF IRAN DEAL

Washington, 18 Jumadil Akhir 1436/7 April 2015 (MINA) – US President Barack Obama says recognition of Israel cannot be a part of the nuclear agreement with Iran.

Obama said in a Monday interview with NPR that requiring Tehran to recognize Israel is a “fundamental misjudgment”.

The Israeli regime has outspokenly voiced opposition since talks began between Tehran and the P5+1 – the US, Britain, Russia, China, France, and Germany — in an effort to reach a comprehensive accord on Iran’s nuclear program, Press Tv quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that recognition of the regime by Iran must a part of the deal.

Obama rejected the idea, saying it is akin to demanding the government in Tehran to “completely” transform its “nature”.

“If suddenly Iran transformed itself to Germany or Sweden or France then there would be a different set of conversations about their nuclear infrastructure.”

Following a meeting the Israeli cabinet on Friday, Bibi called for “unambiguous Iranian recognition of Israel’s right to exist”, saying, “the cabinet is united in strongly opposing the proposed deal”.

Iran and the P5+1 along with officials from the European Union reached a mutual understanding on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss lakeside city of Lausanne on Thursday.

The two sides are set to start drafting a final accord, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is expected to come until the end of June.

Israel has repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program with the regime repeatedly threatening to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities based on the unsubstantiated allegation.

Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that Iran’s civilian nuclear program has been diverted to nuclear weapons production.

Unlike Iran, Israel, which is widely believed to possess between 200 to 400 nuclear warheads, is a non-signatory to the NPT and continues to defy international calls to join the treaty. (T/P002/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)