Skip to main content

Netanyahu: Iran Deal 'Dangerous to All Humanity'

Share This article

JERUSALEM, Israel -- The world's powers are pushing hard to meet Tuesday's deadline for a nuclear deal with Iran, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns Tehran is buiding an axis that is "dangerous to all humanity."

At times the atomosphere in Switzerland seems almost playful, even among sometime adversaries like the United States and Russia.

"I'm not paid to be optimistic," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"You're not paid enough to be optimistic," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry responded.

The parties claim they're as close as ever to a deal that would ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for international controls to make sure Tehran's nuclear program stays peaceful.

How trustworthy would an agreement with Iran be and are the endless negotions making a wider war less or more likely? Ali Alfoneh, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, answered this and more. Click play below to watch.

"To make a deal that is good for non-proliferation, for security in the region and the world and also for the sake of regional stability and security -- it would be important to reach a deal," EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said. "We are united in this as Europeans, not only as European, I believe as international community."

But in Jerusalem such talk would be laughable if there weren't a direct threat to Israel's existence.

On Sunday, one columnist here wrote, "The idea of an Iranian nuclear weapon is surreal and frightening. But by Tuesday it may be a fact on the ground. This is truly crazy."

Even as he tries to form a government, Netanyahu continued to warn such a deal will be bad for the world. The Israeli leader hosted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and a GOP delegation this weekend.

"Will this make their move more moderate or will it make it more extreme? I think it's a no-brainer. But this is happening before our eyes, and I think the most important thing is to make sure that Iran doesn't get a path to the bomb and that Iran's aggression in Yemen and elsewhere, including around Israel's borders, is stopped," Netanyahu said.

McConnell assured Netanyahu of strong bipartisan support for the Israel's position in Congress.

"The group who are here share your concerns about this potential agreement and there are options that the United States has in a wake of an agreement and if there is no agreement. The option if there is an agreement is a bill that we intend to vote on that enjoys bipartisan support to require that agreement come to Congress for approval," McConnell said.

If the deal goes through, Israelis will have to create their own plan based on what they believe is certain to be unchecked aggression on the part of Iran.

Share This article

About The Author

John
Waage

John Waage has covered politics and analyzed elections for CBN New since 1980, including primaries, conventions, and general elections. He also analyzes the convulsive politics of the Middle East.