America
Obama reassures Israeli PM over Iran n-deal
Washington, April 3
US President Barack Obama
said on Thursday that the US was committed to ensuring that Iran
obtained no nuclear weapon, even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said that the framework nuclear deal between Iran and the
world powers posed "a grave danger to Israel".
"The President
emphasised that... the framework represents significant progress towards
a lasting, comprehensive solution that cuts off all of Iran's pathways
to a bomb and verifiably ensures the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear
programme, going forward," a White House statement said, according to a
Xinhua report.
Netanyahu, however, expressed Israel's strong
opposition to the world's framework nuclear agreement with Iran when
speaking to Obama on Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said
on Friday.
"A deal based on this framework would threaten the
survival of Israel," Netanyahu said, adding that the deal would also
"legitimise Iran 's nuclear programme, bolster Iran's economy, and
increase Iran's aggression and terror throughout the Middle East and
beyond".
"Such a deal would not block Iran's path to the bomb. It
would pave it," he added. "It would increase the risks of nuclear
proliferation in the region and the risks of a horrific war".
Obama,
however, underscored that progress on the nuclear issue did not
diminish US concerns with respect to Iran's sponsorship of terrorism and
threats towards Israel, the White House statement said, stressing that
the US remained "steadfast in our commitment to the security of Israel".
According
to the statement, Obama told Netanyahu that "he has directed his
national security team to increase consultations with the new Israeli
government about how we can further strengthen our long-term security
cooperation with Israel and remain vigilant in countering Iran's
threats".
Earlier on Thursday, Israel's Intelligence Minister
Yuval Steinitz said that the framework nuclear agreement between Iran
and the world powers was "far" from being real.
Obama had earlier
hailed the "historic" framework deal between the P5+1 group of world
powers -- the US, China, Russia, France, Britain, plus Germany -- and
Iran, saying it met the "core objectives" of the US and that it would
prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.