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Iran Talks Strain Mideast Alliances

Israel tried to stave off an emerging agreement between Iran and global powers aimed at preventing Tehran from attaining a nuclear weapon, underlining the chasm that has opened up between the Obama administration and its closest Middle East allies over how to deal with their nemesis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu railed against the expected accord in particularly harsh terms Friday, calling on Western allies to “reconsider” after three meetings in two days with Secretary of State John Kerry . President Barack Obama called the Israeli leader in an attempt to calm the furor. “The deal that is being discussed in Geneva right now is a bad deal,” Mr. Netanyahu said in Tel Aviv after meeting with Mr. Kerry. “Iran isn’t even required to take apart even one centrifuge, but the international community is relieving sanctions on Iran.…I urged Secretary Kerry not to rush to sign—to wait, to reconsider. […]

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Netanyahu Attack on Iran Deal Threatens Rift With U.S.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s rejection of a potential agreement on Iran’s nuclear program , which he denounced as a “very bad deal,” threatens to ignite the most serious U.S.- Israel dispute in years. His public criticism follows a series of meetings on the topic with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry , who flew to Geneva today to join talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. They’re seeking to nail down the first step in an accord that would relieve some sanctions against Iran if it curtails certain nuclear activities. The clash over Iran negotiations follows an effort by President Barack Obama to reassure Netanyahu of his support for Israel, including a trip there in March, after a series of disputes. Kerry’s talks with Netanyahu have sought to avoid a blanket rejection of initial moves toward a nuclear pact, which could fuel opponents in the U.S. […]

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Bombings, shootings in Iraq kill 19 people

AP Photo BAGHDAD (AP) — A bomb exploded on a busy street filled with shoppers in northern Iraq, part of a series of attacks that killed at least 19 people Friday, officials said, the latest in a wave of violence roiling the country. The explosion struck a commercial street in Mosul, killing 12 people and wounding 30, police said. Hassan Mahmoud, the owner of an ice cream shop along the street, said he was thrown on the ground by the powerful explosion. “I went outside my shop to see pieces of flesh scattered all around the place with wounded people screaming for help,” Mahmoud said. “The scene was horrific.” Earlier Friday, a bomb exploded just after Friday prayers as Sunni worshippers left the Ali Bin Abi Talib mosque in Baghdad’s western Shurta district. A second bomb, planted further down the street, exploded seconds later as worshippers tried to flee […]

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Israel rejects mooted nuclear deal with Iran

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel utterly rejects a mooted world powers deal with Iran aimed at ending a long-running row over its nuclear ambitions and will not be bound by such an accord, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday. Speaking as headed into a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Netanyahu told reporters that Iran had got "the deal of the century". "Israel utterly rejects it and what I am saying is shared by many in the region, whether or not they express that publicly. Israel is not obliged by this agreement and Israel will do everything it needs to do to defend itself and the security of its people," he said. Israel has repeatedly warned that it might strike Iran if it did not halt its nuclear program, accusing Tehran of seeking to build atomic weapons. Iran says its various nuclear facilities are geared to civilian […]

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Iran Nuclear Deal Closer as Kerry Set to Arrive in Geneva

Iran and world powers edged closer to breaking the decade-long stalemate over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program, saying an initial accord is possible when they convene for a second day of negotiations in Geneva. Secretary of State John Kerry plans to make a visit to the Swiss city today in an effort to help narrow differences in the talks, according to a U.S. official who asked not to be identified because the plans weren’t public. A framework has been agreed on and negotiators will try to fill in details at today’s session, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an interview. “Our job now is to test how serious they are about resolving this conflict, or this dispute, through peaceful means, through diplomacy,” President Barack Obama said yesterday in an interview with NBC News. “We don’t have to trust them. What we have to do is to make […]

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Iran Nuclear Deal Expected as Early as Friday

GENEVA—Iran and world powers expect to announce an initial deal as early as Friday to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for an easing of sanctions, a step that would mark the first breakthrough in a decade to blunt the threat of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. Secretary of State John Kerry will fly to Geneva on Friday to complete the deal, the State Department said. President Barack Obama described the emerging agreement Thursday in an interview with NBC News, saying that if Iran doesn’t live up to its end, “we can crank that dial back up” on sanctions. The two sides were jointly preparing a draft agreement ahead of a likely announcement, said Iranian and Western officials, although the plan could still unravel. The White House already faces major opposition both from its allies in the Middle East and members of Congress. Israel, in particular, has been deeply skeptical. […]

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The real challenge for US-Iran talks lies at home

A year ago, the prospect of a US-Iranian nuclear settlement seemed very distant. Now, top negotiators from Iran, the US and other major powers are convening in Geneva , and may be on the verge of concluding a deal this week over Iran’s nuclear programme. All signs point to a seriousness of purpose and a determination to get to an agreement. While the differences dividing Iran and the US are significant, the more difficult negotiations may well be the one each side faces at home. Most major international negotiations are, as Robert Putnam, the Harvard political scientist, put it, a two-level game; one set of negotiations take place at the table between the parties and another set back home among different domestic constituencies. The Iran nuclear negotiations are no different, and their success will depend as much on how domestic forces align within the US and Iran as on […]

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Pakistan 'ready to deliver nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia'

Intelligence sources say Pakistan-made nuclear weapons ready for delivery to Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to counter Iran’s atomic programme, but Islamabad says claims ‘baseless’ Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also dismissed the allegations as “baseless”, as did General Hamid Gul, a former head of the ISI intelligence service. Saudi officials have long told their American allies that they planned to obtain atomic weapons if Iran went nuclear. The latest reports suggests they could be ready even sooner. Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, told a conference in Sweden last month that if Iran got the bomb, “the Saudis will not wait one month. They already paid for the bomb, they will go to Pakistan and bring what they need to bring”. Pakistan declared itself as a nuclear armed state in 1998 with its first test. It has never signed up non-proliferation agreements and has […]

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Pakistan ‘ready to deliver nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia’

Intelligence sources say Pakistan-made nuclear weapons ready for delivery to Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to counter Iran’s atomic programme, but Islamabad says claims ‘baseless’ Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also dismissed the allegations as “baseless”, as did General Hamid Gul, a former head of the ISI intelligence service. Saudi officials have long told their American allies that they planned to obtain atomic weapons if Iran went nuclear. The latest reports suggests they could be ready even sooner. Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, told a conference in Sweden last month that if Iran got the bomb, “the Saudis will not wait one month. They already paid for the bomb, they will go to Pakistan and bring what they need to bring”. Pakistan declared itself as a nuclear armed state in 1998 with its first test. It has never signed up non-proliferation agreements and has […]

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Iran nuclear issue not insoluble, says FM Javad Zarif

Iranian technicians outside the building housing the reactor of Bushehr nuclear power plant. File photo 7 November 2013 Last updated at 09:26 The West suspects Iran’s programme is arms production – a charge Iran denies Iran’s foreign minister has expressed cautious optimism about upcoming talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, saying the issue is “not insoluble”. World powers and Iran are due to meet in Geneva later on Thursday for a further round of discussions. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the talks would be “highly laboured” but the aim was to “cross over the wall of distrust” created by Western policies. The West suspects Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons. Tehran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. ‘First step’ Analysis The air in Geneva is clear. So is the lake. But, for the next two days, everything else negotiators face in this city may be cloudy, muddy, […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple