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Rouhani accuses Israeli government of undermining nuclear talks | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 68th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 68th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 68th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani hit out at calls by the Israeli government to maintain sanctions on Iran on Sunday, the same day that an Israeli delegation travelled to Washington for strategic consultations.

Speaking to a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Rouhani claimed that Israel has “now been isolated” and that the Jewish state was trying to “ruin the positive atmosphere” surrounding talks about Iran’s nuclear program, according to Iranian press reports.

Israeli leaders have been quick to call for world powers to maintain the pressure on Iran over its controversial nuclear program, despite recent moves by US and Iranian leaders to defuse the long-standing tensions between the two states, and positive signals from international negotiations on the nuclear issue.

In a speech on October 1, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN Assembly General that his country was ready to act alone to halt Iran’s alleged efforts to build a nuclear bomb.

Netanyahu also told NBC’s Meet the Press that the result of the current negotiations between Western nations and the Iranian regime must be nothing less than “the full dismantling of Iran’s military nuclear program.”

Iran insists that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.

“As long as we don’t see actions but only words, the international pressure must continue and increase…[with greater pressure], the higher the chance its military nuclear program will be dismantled,” Netanyahu said at a meeting of the Israeli cabinet on Sunday.

According to the Prime Minister’s office, Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Shteinitz was scheduled to travel to Washington on Sunday for talks on the on-going negotiations with Iran, and will be accompanied by officials from the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, and intelligence services.