Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated today that “he fully agrees” with Donald Trump that Iran must never have a nuclear bomb, the day after the U.S. president announced that an agreement between Washington and Tehran to end the war is imminent.
“As long as I am Prime Minister of Israel, Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon. President Trump and I are in complete agreement on this issue,” Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that he has been “for over 30 years… at the forefront of the international struggle against Iran’s nuclear program.”
Donald Trump stated yesterday that he had called off new U.S. airstrikes scheduled to take place overnight against Iran, before confirming that a “very good deal” had been reached and even mentioning the possibility of signing it somewhere “in Europe” this “weekend.”
A memorandum between the U.S. and Iran to end the war in the Gulf could be signed as early as Sunday, a source from a Western country told Reuters today, with Geneva emerging as the most likely venue for such an event.
The Iranian news agency Mehr today released what it presented as a draft agreement with the United States aimed at establishing a framework for ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. According to the agency, this draft framework agreement calls for a “permanent and immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon,” “60 days of negotiations to reach an agreement on nuclear issues and the complete lifting of sanctions” imposed by the United States.
The official Iranian news agency IRNA reported, for its part, that, based on the draft framework agreement with the United States, Tehran will not relinquish control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. IRNA also reported that, based on the draft framework agreement, the issue of Iran’s nuclear program will be addressed during the 60 days of negotiations between Tehran and Washington, with Tehran insisting on its “right” to enrichment.
