BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry held lengthy talks yesterday in Rome.

Reuters quotes a senior US official stating that the seven-hour long talks included an “in-depth” discussion over the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), along with other regional issues. However, much of the meeting and indeed almost all public comments were devoted to Iran’s nuclear development in the wake of talks last week between Iranian officials and representatives of the P5+1.

Kerry emphasised that the United States would need to see real progress from Iran in order for diplomacy to advance, commenting “We have made clear and we are adamant that words are no substitute for actions.” He added, “We will need to know that actions are being taken which make it crystal clear… that whatever programme is pursued is indeed a peaceful programme.”

However, Netanyahu said Iran must dismantle its nuclear capacity entirely. He said, “Iran must not have a nuclear weapons capability, which means that they shouldn’t have centrifuges or enrichment,” adding that Iran’s underground nuclear facilities and plutonium heavy-water plant are only meant for military purposes. Netanyahu commented, “I think a partial deal that leaves Iran with these capabilities is a bad deal,” and said that it would be a “tragic mistake” if the international community relinquished sanctions on Iran, which he argued were needed to ensure a peaceful solution.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon warned in a sitting of the Knesset Foreign and Defence Committee that Iran’s objective during this period of diplomacy is “to keep their ability to independently enrich uranium,” emphasising that it was “unacceptable from our perspective.”