Israel worried about relief to Iran without curb on nuclear projects: Bennett

Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday expressed fears that Iran would get sanctions relief without significant curbs on its nuclear program. The statement came just a day ahead of world powers going in a huddle with Iran in a last-ditch effort to salvage 2015 nuclear agreement. The negotiations are to begin on November 29 in Vienna.

"Israel is very worried about the readiness to remove the sanctions and to allow a flow of billions (of dollars) to Iran in exchange for unsatisfactory restrictions in the nuclear realm," Bennett told his cabinet in televised remarks.

"This is the message that we are relaying in every manner, whether to the Americans or to the other countries negotiating with Iran."

US and other world powers had entered into nuclear deal with Iran in 2015. The deal was hailed as a landmark event. However, former US President Donald Trump unilaterally took US out of the deal in 2018. This put crippling sanctions back on Iran.

Negotiations have been going on in Vienna to revive the deal but no significant progress has been made till now.

Israel, which is not a party to the talks, opposed the original 2015 pact as too limited in scope and duration. Israeli leaders have long threatened military action against Iran if they deem diplomacy a dead end for denying it nuclear weaponry.

The Islamic Republic says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.

Few expect a breakthrough in the talks as Iran's uranium enrichment activities have escalated in an apparent bid to gain leverage against the West.

Six rounds of indirect talks were held between April and June. The new round begins after a hiatus caused by the election of a new Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric.

(With inputs from agencies)