The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has repeated his threats over Iran’s nuclear program, amid the ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran to reach a deal.
Netanyahu insists that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure must be dismantled, prompting the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, to warn of a reciprocal measure if Israel resorted to military action.
Eliminating Iran’s Nuclear Capabilities
Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that the US-Iran nuclear deal must involve removing Tehran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities, according to the Times of Israel. “A real deal that works is one that removes Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons,” he said.
“Dismantle all the infrastructure of Iran’s nuclear program. That is a deal we can live with,” the Israeli Prime Minister added.
Netanyahu also noted that Iran’s missile program must be included in the ongoing talks, a demand that Tehran firmly rejects. “A bad deal is worse than no deal,” Netanyahu said, hinting that he wants a deal similar to the 2003 agreement with Libya, which removed its nuclear, chemical, biological and missile programs.
Moreover, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will not accept a nuclear-weaponed Iran. “We have to make sure that Iran does not get nuclear weapons,” noting that he conveyed his position to the US President, Donald Trump, during his visit to Washington earlier this month. “I said one way or the other, Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” he said.
Iranian Warnings
Iran has responded to Netanyahu’s threats over its nuclear program. On Monday, Araghchi said that Iran is “strong and confident enough in its capabilities to thwart any attempt by malicious external actors to sabotage its foreign policy or dictate its course,” adding that he hoped his American counterparts will be “equally steadfast.”
Araghchi warned that any Israeli strike will be immediately reciprocated. “There is no military option, and certainly no military solution. Any strike will be immediately reciprocated,” he wrote on X.
Moreover, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghai, noted that Israel is “well aware that any adventurous move or miscalculation against Iran will result in a swift and decisive response,” the Iranian Mehr news agency reported. He added that the Israeli threats are an attempt to divert attention from the “ongoing genocide” in Gaza.
Military Action
Despite the ongoing US-Iran talks, described as “positive” and “constructive,” Israel has not ruled out military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities, reported Reuters. Trump told Netanyahu that the US favored diplomacy over military action. However, Israel is still considering a limited military strike that needs minimal US backing.
The Saudi political analyst and nonresident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, Dr. Hesham Alghannam, warned that a direct military action against Iran would disrupt regional balances and could cause a complete reconfiguration. This, in turn, would affect the national security of countries across the region and reflecting upon the international system as a whole.
“From a national security perspective, such an attack cannot be viewed as an action with limited impact; rather, it would serve as the spark for a wide-ranging conflict, given Iran’s central strategic and geographic importance,” he told Leaders MENA Magazine.
Dr. Alghannam, who is also the Director of the Security Research Center and General Supervisor of National Security and Counter-Terrorism Programs at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, pointed out that a conflict in the Middle East would also affect the infrastructure of the global economy itself.
“Thus, military action against Iran today would not only collapse regional balances but also threaten to reorder international interactions chaotically and unprecedentedly. It is not merely an attack but a global political-economic earthquake with boundless and inevitably costly consequences,” he said.
US-Iran Nuclear Talks
Washington and Tehran have engaged in three rounds of nuclear talks, mediated by Oman. The negotiations aim to reach a deal that would curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions and lift the crippling sanctions imposed by the US.
On Saturday, the US and Iran held technical and high-level talks in Muscat. The Director of US State Secretary, Michael Anton, led the US technical team, while Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi, headed the Iranian team, according to the Associated Press (AP). The high-level talks were chaired by Araghchi and Trump’s Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The talks lasted for several hours, with both sides agreeing to hold more talks and a high-level meeting next week. Araghchi described the talks as “very serious and work-focused.” He told Iran’s state television that the talks were “much more serious than in the past, and we gradually entered into deeper and more detailed discussions.”
Furthermore, the Omani Foreign Minister, Badr Al-Busaidi, said that both sides “identified a shared aspiration to reach agreement based on mutual respect and enduring commitments. Core principles, objectives and technical concerns were all addressed. Talks will continue next week with a further high-level meeting provisionally scheduled for May 3,” he posted on X.
