It would be a "historic mistake" to
ease pressure on Iran over its nuclear
programme right now, according to
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Opening parliament's winter session,
Mr Netanyahu said Israel must "keep
up the pressure" on Iran, "particularly
at this moment".
His speech came on the eve of
nuclear talks in Geneva between Iran
and international negotiators.
Iran's foreign minister said he hoped
a "roadmap" could be reached.
"Tomorrow is the start of a difficult
and relatively time-consuming way
forward," Mohammad Javad Zarif
posted on his Facebook page.
"I am hopeful that by Wednesday we
can reach agreement on a roadmap to
find a path towards resolution."
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas
Araqchi will represent Iran at the
talks, holding discussions with
representatives of the P5+1 group,
made up of Britain, China, France,
Russia and the US plus Germany.
These are the first such talks since
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
took office in August.
Mr Rouhani is seen as more moderate
than his predecessor Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, which has raised hopes
that a deal can be reached.
Maintaining the pressure
Mr Netanyahu told Israel's
parliamentarians - among them some
of Iran's fiercest critics - that any
move to let up on the Iranian
government would only strengthen its
"uncompromising elements", and
supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei "will be perceived as the
winner".
In reference to the current
international sanctions against Iran,
he said it would be "a historical
mistake to lift the sanctions, just
before they are really effective".
Mr Netanyahu's comments were
backed up by intelligence minister
Yuval Steinitz, who called on the
main powers in the Geneva talks to
maintain pressure on Iran.
Mr Steinitz said it was the effect of
sanctions, and the subsequent fact
the "Iranian economy is in very bad
shape", that was driving the Iranians
to come to the talks.
"The dilemma will be crystal clear to
them - that if they want to save their
economy, they need to give up their
nuclear project," he said.
But in the US - which has also shown
a tough stance against lifting
sanctions on Iran - nine leading
senators said they were open to the
idea of suspending new sanctions if
Tehran took significant steps to slow
its nuclear programme.
In a letter to President Barack Obama,
the senators - both Democrats and
Republicans - said the US should
consider a plan of "suspension for
suspension", in which Iran would
suspend its nuclear enrichment
programme and Washington would
suspend new sanctions.
But the senators - who include the
influential Republicans John McCain
and Lindsey Graham - emphasised
that, in the meantime, the threat of
military force should remain, and
pressure should be kept up against
Iran.
Sanctions and stockpiles
Western nations believe Iran's
uranium enrichment programme is
covertly meant to achieve a nuclear
arms capability.
Tehran denies this, saying it wants
only to master nuclear technology to
generate electricity and carry out
medical research.
Iran has been negotiating with the
P5+1 group since 2006, because it
wants UN sanctions against it to be
lifted.
Western negotiators have demanded
that Iran halt the production and
stockpiling of uranium enriched to
20% - a step away from achieving a
nuclear weapons capability.
They also want Iran to send some of
its stockpiles abroad, and shut down
the Fordo production site near Qom
where most of the higher-grade
enrichment work is done.
But Mr Araqchi insisted on Sunday
that there could be no question of
Iran relinquishing its stockpiles of
enriched uranium.
"We will not allow even a gram of
uranium to go out of the country," he
said, quoted on the website of Iranian
state TV.
President Rouhani has said he wants
to reach a deal on the nuclear
dispute within three to six months.
http://bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24523835