Israel, Saudi Arabia denounce Iran nuclear deal

JERUSALEM/RIYADH: Israel and Saudi Arabia have strongly condemned the nuclear deal concluded between major powers and Iran on Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the nuclear deal was “a historic mistake” and hinted he remained ready to order military action.“In every area where it was supposed to prevent Iran attaining nuclear arms capability, there were huge compromises,” his office quoted him as saying at the start of a meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders.
“We knew very well that the desire to sign an agreement was stronger than anything, and therefore we did not commit to preventing an agreement,” Netanyahu said.“We did commit to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and this commitment still stands,” he added in what was seen as a thinly veiled threat of pre-emptive strikes against the Iranian nuclear sites, although analysts said unilateral military action was highly unlikely for now.
Netanyahu has long opposed any deal with Iran, and Israel has previously signalled it could take military action if need be to stop the Gulf state from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability.
He has taken his campaign to the US Congress and the UN General Assembly but ultimately failed to block the agreement.“You can’t prevent an agreement when those negotiating it are prepared to make more and more concessions to those shouting ‘Death to the United States’ even as the talks are in progress,” Netanyahu said.
“Iran will get hundreds of billions of dollars with which it will be able to fuel its terror machine,” he said, referring to the expected lifting of sanctions.Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon accused the six powers of needlessly caving in to Tehran.
“Iran, who arrived at the negotiating table in a weak position, has emerged victorious,” he said.“Instead of fighting terror with all its might, the free world has granted legitimacy to Iran’s hateful, murderous ways. This agreement is a tragedy for all who aspire for regional stability and fear a nuclear Iran.”
Meanwhile, a Saudi official said Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers on Tuesday will make the Middle East a “more dangerous part of the world” if it comes with too many concessions, signalling Gulf Arabs’ deep unease at the agreement.
The lack of official responses from Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies reflected huge nervousness about a deal set to end the pariah status of Iran, already Riyadh’s main rival for influence across the Middle East, and unchain its economy from crippling sanctions.One Saudi diplomat described the agreement as “extremely dangerous” and said it would give a green light to his own government to start a nuclear energy programme.