Israeli Prime Minister Calls For Termination Of Nuclear Program During Iran-US Negotiations, Foreign Minister Aragchi: Dare To Dicte Trump

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Wikimedia Commons/Tasnim News Agency/Hamed Michelpour)

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi revealed his surprise at the courage of the Israeli Prime Minister to dictate to President Donald Trump, calling for Tehran's nuclear program to be stopped, as the United States and Iran are holding negotiations to reach a nuclear deal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday night repeated his call for all Iran's nuclear infrastructure to be dismantled.

Speaking in Jerusalem, PM Netanyahu said he had informed President Trump that any nuclear agreement reached with Iran should also prevent Tehran from developing ballistic missiles.

"We are in close contact with the United States. However, I say, in any way, Iran will not have nuclear weapons," Prime Minister Netanyahu said at a conference hosted by Jewish News Syndicate, referring to his conversation with President Trump.

PM Netanyahu said the only "good deal" was a deal that removed "all infrastructure" similar to Libya's 2003 agreement with the West which saw him stop its nuclear, chemical, biological and missile programs.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Monday that Tehran was confident it could thwart efforts to sabotage its foreign policy or dictate its direction, adding he hoped his Washington counterparts would be just as steadfast.

"What's surprising is how brave Netanyahu is now to dictate what President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran," wrote Foreign Minister Araqchi in X, before warning any attacks against Iran would be met immediately.

The United States and Iran have so far held three rounds of indirect negotiations mediated by Oman to reach a deal that would prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but also lift the crippling economic sanctions imposed by Washington.

Following negotiations in Rome earlier this month, Oman said the US and Iran were pursuing a deal that would free Tehran completely from nuclear weapons and sanctions, but "maintained its ability to develop peaceful nuclear energy."

Israeli officials have long vowed to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, a statement repeated by PM Netanyahu.

Israel has not ruled out the possibility of attacking Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, although President Donald Trump told PM Netanyahu the US was at the moment unwilling to support such operations, Reuters reported on April 19, citing an Israeli official and two other sources familiar with the matter.

An Iranian official said this month, Tehran saw its missile program as a major critical point in US negotiations.