Israel reaches out to Europe ahead of Iran talks

OCCUPIED-AL-QUDS: Israel’s prime minister is reaching out to Europe for support in pressuring Iran over its nuclear programme ahead of talks. An Israeli government official said Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the French President and the British Prime Minister this weekend. Netanyahu said sanctions imposed on Iran are close to Òreaching their objectivesÓ and should be increased. The official spoke anonymously as he is not allowed to discuss the issue. Iran’s new president has adopted a softer tone to the West in a move that critics dismiss as a trick aimed at removing biting sanctions. Talks on Iran’s nuclear programme are set to resume in Geneva next week. Israel views a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its very existence. Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the leaders of Britain and France to urge them not to ease sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, ahead of talks between Iran and world powers. An Israeli official said on Saturday Netanyahu phoned British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande to tell them sanctions were close to achieving their goal. “Until Iran dismantles its military nuclear programme, sanctions must not be eased - on the contrary. Only the pressure brought Iran to this point, and only the continuation of pressure and its strengthening can bring them to dismantle their nuclear programme,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying. The Israeli leader met US President Barack Obama last week in Washington and made a speech at the UN General Assembly in which he said Israel was ready to stand alone to deny Iran nuclear weapons. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says his country’s nuclear programme is for peaceful civilian purposes and since his June election victory has been trying to ease friction with the Westin an attempt to win relief from international sanctions. Western diplomats have played down any suggestion Iran’s new openness will result in an immediate loosening of sanctions. But they are also hoping that talks on Oct 15-16 between six world powers - including Britain and France - and Iran will deliver an opportunity to make progress on ending the decade-long dispute. Israel is widely believed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal. Since 2006, Iran has crossed several thresholds deemed unacceptable by the West and Israel - believed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed power - which has threatened military strikes to ensure that its foe does not acquire such arms. Iran built a second uranium enrichment plant at Fordow, deep underground near the holy city of Qom, started producing uranium to a level closer to that suitable for bombs, and installed advanced centrifuges able to enrich much faster. Illustrating the nuclear programme’s growth and increasing complexity, the IAEA’s reports have more than doubled in length, to 14 pages this year from just five in 2006. Despite a more moderate tone from Iran under new President Hassan Rouhani, Vienna-based diplomats say they see no clear indication so far that Iran is putting the brakes on its nuclear drive.