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Netanyahu warns world against being duped by Rowhani charm offensive
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday warned the international community not to be deceived by the conciliatory rhetoric of Iranian President Hassan Rowhani, as Tehran’s nuclear development continues unabated.
NBC News aired an interview with Rowhani on Wednesday, ahead of his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly next week. Rowhani claimed that Iran has “never pursued or sought nuclear weapons and we are not going to do so.” He added that “We seek peace and friendship among the nations of the region” and instead accused Israel of having “brought instability to the region with its war-mongering policies.” Rowhani’s interview comes just days after US President Obama revealed that he and Rowhani have recently corresponded, while Der Spiegel claimed that Iran could offer to shut down its activities at the Fordow plant in exchange for lifting international sanctions.
However, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office was quick to respond. In a statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu said yesterday, “While Rowhani sits down for interviews he also continues to move ahead with the nuclear programme,” adding that “The Iranians are continuing to deceive so that the centrifuges continue spinning.” Indeed, the latest International Atomic Energy Agency report on Iran, published last month, revealed that Tehran is continuing to steadily grow its capability to enrich uranium.
Saying that “The real test lies in the Iranian regime’s actions, not words,” Netanyahu reiterated four conditions to halting Iran’s nuclear programme, commenting “Only a combination of stopping uranium enrichment, removing all enriched uranium, dismantling the nuclear facility at Qom and stopping the plutonium track will constitute a real halt to the nuclear program.” Until then, Netanyahu said “the international community needs to intensify the pressure on Iran.” Illustrating the nature of the Iranian regime, Netanyahu pointed out that “Iran sends its people to massacre innocent civilians in Syria and encourages terror around the world.”