Minister Steinitz
Minister SteinitzIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Minister of Strategic and Intelligence Affairs and International Relations Dr. Yuval Steinitz, who is responsible for coordinating the international campaign regarding Iran, said Saturday evening that the failure of the latest round of talks with Iran was not surprising, since Iran is merely playing for time.

"This failure was predictable," Min. Steinitz said in an official statement. "Israel has already warned that the Iranians are exploiting the talks in order to play for time while making additional progress in enriching uranium for an atomic bomb.

"Israel believes that without a significant and tangible threat, including a short timetable, it is clear that achieving the dismantling of the nuclear project will not be possible. The time has come for the world to take a more assertive stand and make it unequivocally clear to the Iranians that the negotiations games have run their course."

Iran and world powers once again failed on Friday to reach a breakthrough in the Iranian nuclear crisis, AFP reported Friday.

The latest talks in Kazakhstan saw Tehran being criticized for failing to give a clear response to a proposal aimed at breaking the deadlock, the report said.