- Israel has destroyed 150 km of Gaza tunnels; 350 km to go.
- US-Iran talks resume this week; Netanyahu unsure of the outcome.
- US sends second aircraft carrier to region amid tensions.
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he told US President Donald Trump last week that any US deal with Iran must include dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, not just halting the enrichment process.
Speaking at the annual conference of presidents of major American Jewish organizations, Netanyahu also said Israel still needs to “complete the job” of destroying all tunnels in Gaza. Israel, he said, has already dismantled 150 km of an estimated 500 km.
A second round of talks between the US and Iran is scheduled for this week. Iran is pursuing a nuclear deal with the United States that provides economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat said on Sunday.
Netanyahu said he is skeptical of a deal, but it must include enriched material leaving Iran.
“There should be no enrichment capability — not to stop the enrichment process, but to dismantle the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place,” he said.
Iran and the United States renewed talks earlier this month to tackle their decades-long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program and avert a new military confrontation.
The United States has sent another aircraft carrier to the region and is preparing for the possibility of a sustained military campaign if the talks fail, US officials have told Reuters.
Netanyahu also said he aimed to end US military aid to Israel within the next 10 years after the current 10-year deal to receive $3.8 billion a year, largely spent in the US on equipment, ends in 2028.
Because of a booming economy, “we can afford to phase out the financial component of the military aid that we receive, and I propose a 10-year draw down to zero. Now, in the three years left in the current memorandum of understanding and another seven years draw it down to zero,” Netanyahu said. “We want to move with the US off aid,” he said.
