Yuval Steinitz, Israel’s intelligence minister, denounced comments by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on nuclear negotiations with Iran, AFP reports.
In a recent address to U.S. lawmakers, Kerry said Iran is potentially two months away from the ability to produce enough nuclear material for a bomb.
“I think it is fair to say, I think it is public knowledge today, that we are operating with a time period for a so-called breakout of about two months. So Six months to 12 months is – I’m not saying that’s what we’d settle for – but even that is significantly more,” Kerry said.
Steinitz said Israel was very troubled by this scenario, according to AFP.
“The things Kerry said in the Congress are worrying, they are surprising and they are unacceptable,” Steinitz said. “We watch negotiations with concern. We are not opposed to a diplomatic solution but we are against a solution which is entirely a surrender to Iran and which leaves it a threshold nuclear state.”
Unlike the United States, Israel appears more eager to carry out a military strike against Iran.
Nuclear negotiations are currently taking place in Vienna with Iran and the U.N. Security Council permanent members plus Germany. After a meeting in Vienna last week, Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy chief, said the next round of talks in May would “move to the next phase.”
