JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly reacted on Sunday to the interim nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six world powers in Geneva, calling it "not a historic deal, but rather a historic mistake."
In his remarks prior to attending the weekly meeting of Council of Ministers, Netanyahu claimed that the fresh nuclear deal with Iran turned the world into a "much scarier place because now the world's most dangerous regime is taking significant steps towards acquiring the world's most dangerous weapon."
The Israeli prime minister also argued that the agreement marked the first time the world's leading powers agreed to uranium enrichment "while ignoring UN Security Council resolution which they led and years worth of sanctions which contain the key to a peaceful diplomatic solution."
"These sanctions are now being removed in return for cosmetic concessions which can be undone by the Iranians within weeks," said Netanyahu, asserting that the ramifications of the deal were threats against certain countries including Israel.
He also noted that Israel was not bound to the agreement "while Iran is committed to the destruction of Israel."
"Israel has the right to protect itself in the face of any threat. I wish to reiterate that as the prime minister of Israel -- Israel will not allow Iran to develop nuclear military capabilities," he added.
However, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said the deal "stops none of our country's nuclear activities," arguing that Tehran would continue uranium enrichment.
He pointed out that Iran would keep its level of uranium enrichment at five per cent, for a period of 6 months as the interim deal suggests, until the final phase of the nuclear deal be completed.
- Clashing remarks of Kerry and Iranian counterpart
The conflicting remarks of the top US diplomat and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif following the sealing of the nuclear deal aroused tension across Iran, with Kerry saying that the deal ruled out the uranium enrichment right of Iran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Marzieh Afkham explained that the Western diplomats are making such remarks in order to decrease the pressure on their countries.
"We are only bound to, with regards to the agreement text, what our Foreign Minister Zarif stated at the press conference in Geneva," said Afkham.
Iran's Chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security Alaeddin Boroujerdi also commented on Kerry's remarks that his words mainly aimed at calming the conservatives in the US government.
He further claimed that the deal made all acknowledge Iran's right to enrichment.
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