Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons: Netanyahu

Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, amid reports of renewed negotiations between Tehran and the US administration over a new nuclear agreement.

"The Prime Minister has made clear more than once: Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons," Netanyahu's office said on Thursday in a statement.

The office added that Netanyahu, who views Iran as Israel's arch-foe, "has led countless overt and covert operations against Iran's nuclear program," and has "led the global campaign against Iran's nuclear program".

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff held a "constructive" meeting in Muscat, Oman, on Saturday to discuss Tehran's nuclear program. The talks followed a March announcement by US President Donald Trump, revealing he had sent a letter to Iranian leaders through the UAE, proposing negotiations on the issue, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Iran later agreed to indirect discussions. Meanwhile, Israel and Western nations have long alleged that Iran seeks nuclear weapons capability—a claim consistently denied by Tehran.

Netanyahu's statement comes ahead of a second round of Omani-mediated negotiations between US and Iranian delegations set to take place in Rome on Saturday.

Trump's efforts to reach a deal with Iran on its nuclear programme through mediation appear in contrast to Netanyahu's long-standing policy to tackle the issue using military action.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu has been leading the global campaign against Iran's nuclear program for more than a decade, even when some dismissed the threat and referred to it as a 'political spin' and called the Prime Minister 'paranoid'," his office said.

In March, Trump reached out to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing talks while cautioning that failure to reach an agreement could lead to military action. Meanwhile, Netanyahu has been advocating for stronger measures against Iran.

Trump administration officials revealed to the Times that Israel had sought Washington’s assistance to carry out an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in May.

The report highlights that the Israeli plan, along with its potential manoeuvres, had been under review for months. However, during Netanyahu's recent visit to the White House, Trump told the Israelis he would not support an attack. The president instead publicly announced the direct talks with Tehran.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi stressed the urgency of reaching an agreement, warning that time was running out for both sides to secure a deal.

(inputs from IANS)