Netanyahu warns of regional nuclear arms race if Iran deal not fixed or scrapped

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if the 2015 deal meant to limit Iran’s nuclear program isn’t altered or canceled.

Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu says his discussions with US officials last week dealt mostly with Iran.

“I said the nuclear deal with Iran hides within it many dangers to the world, indcluding a particular danger of the nuclearization of the Middle East,” he says.

“Many countries in the Middle East say they should also be allowed to enrich uranium if Iran is allowed to. Therefore, the way to prevent this danger of nuclearization in the Middle East is to fundamentally fix the agreement or cancel it,” he adds.

Netanyahu is apparently referring to Saudi Arabia, which is in talks to purchase nuclear reactors to the US and is reportedly conditioning any deal on the right to enrich uranium, an essential component in producing nuclear weapons.

“Beyond this, I remind you that Iran has declared almost every day that it intends to annihilate the State of Israel,” he says. “Needless to say we won’t allow this, to say the least.”