Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid held a briefing for foreign journalists Wednesday afternoon in which he explained Israel's opposition to the proposed revised nuclear deal with Iran.
“Israel is not against any agreement. We are against this agreement, because it is a bad one. Because it cannot be accepted as it is written right now,” Lapid said. "Because it cannot be accepted as it is written right now. In our eyes, it does not meet the standards set by President Biden himself: preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear state."
He noted that the billions of dollars Iran would receive as part of the deal would go towards funding terrorism and destabilizing the Middle East. “On the table right now is a bad deal. It would give Iran a hundred billion dollars a year. This money will not build schools or hospitals. This is a hundred billion dollars a year that will be used to undermine stability in the Middle East and spread terror around the globe. This money will fund the Revolutionary Guards. It will fund the Basij who oppress the Iranian people. It will fund more attacks on American bases in the Middle East. It will be used to strengthen Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad.”
“We have an open dialogue with the American administration on all matters of disagreement. I appreciate their willingness to listen and work together: the United States is and will remain our closest ally, and President Biden is one of the best friends Israel has ever known.
“We have made it clear to everyone: if a deal is signed, it does not obligate Israel. We will act to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear state,“ Lapid said.