A senior Iranian military official said Sunday that despite the emerging nuclear deal between Iran and the US-led P5+1 group of world powers, America will remain Tehran's enemy.
Iranian Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said that even if a nuclear deal comes to fruition in Vienna, where Iranian and western negotiators are currently trying to reach an agreement by a Tuesday deadline, Tehran and Washington will not become friends.
"The US might arrive at some agreements with us within the framework of the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany), but we should never hold a positive view over the enemy," Iran's Fars News Agency quoted Pourdastan as saying.
"Our enmity with them is over the principles and is rooted because we are after the truth and nations' freedom, but they seek exploiting nations and putting them in chains," he explained further.
Pourdastan's comments came as differences still remained between the two sides over the country's disputed nuclear program ahead of Tuesday's deadline for a final agreement to end a 12-year-old dispute.
The deal under discussion between Iran and the powers is aimed at curbing Tehran's most sensitive nuclear work for a decade or more, in exchange for relief from sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy.
The United States and its allies fear Iran is using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Iran says its program is peaceful.
Washington is negotiating the deal as part of a group of major powers that also includes Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. It is a major initiative both for the administration of US President Barack Obama and for Iran's pragmatic elected President Hassan Rouhani, both of whom face skepticism from powerful hardliners at home.
Reaching a deal would be the most important milestone in decades towards alleviating hostility between the United States and Iran, enemies since Iranian revolutionaries captured 52 hostages in the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.
An Iranian official told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that the talks could continue until July 9, echoing some Western diplomats. Kerry said negotiators were still aiming for the July 7 deadline, which the negotiators set when they missed a June 30 deadline last week.
Kerry and Zarif held a string of meetings on Sunday, trying to overcome remaining differences, including how to lift United Nations sanctions and what advanced research and development Iran may pursue. Foreign ministers of the other powers started to return to Vienna on Sunday to help push for a swift deal.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that reaching an agreement is possible this week if Iran makes the "hard choices" necessary, but if not, the United States stands ready to walk away from the negotiations.
Netanyahu: Western powers 'collapsed' in nuclear talks - By Adiv Sterman -
http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-western-powers-collapsed-in-nuclear-talks/ PM says emerging Iran deal is worse than the agreement with North Korea, which went on to produce atomic arsenal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday accused the six world powers negotiating with Iran of dangerously caving to the Islamic Republic's every demand, as a long-sought final pact that would see the lifting of sanctions in exchange for curbs on Tehran's nuclear program was reportedly close to being signed.
"It seems that the nuclear talks in Iran have yielded a collapse, not a breakthrough," Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. "The major powers' concessions are growing."
He said an agreement with Tehran over its nuclear program would "pave Iran's path to the production of very many atomic bombs and it will also channel to Iran hundreds of billions of dollars that will serve its aggression and terrorism campaigns in our region and around the world."
Netanyahu likened the deal to negotiations between the US and North Korea, which did not achieve Western powers' intended result of deterring the Asian state from developing nuclear arms.
"This is a bad deal," the prime minister said. "It is not less bad - in my opinion it is worse - than the deal with North Korea that led to a nuclear arsenal in North Korea. But this is both a nonconventional threat and a very large conventional threat against Israel, the countries of the region and the world."
On Saturday, the Associated Press reported that the so-called P5+1 world powers and Iran had drawn up a draft document on the pace and timing of sanctions relief, advancing on one of the most contentious issues of their negotiations. The development indicated the sides were moving closer to a comprehensive accord that would impose a decade of restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for tens of billions of dollars in economic benefits for the Iranians, as they race to complete a deal after extending a June 30 deadline to July 7.
Israel has loudly lobbied against the emerging deal, arguing it will let Iran continue to enrich uranium for a nuclear weapons program while lifting sanctions that have crippled the country's economy. The US and much of the world fears Iran's enrichment of uranium and other activity could be designed to make nuclear weapons; Iran says its program is meant only to generate power and serve other peaceful purposes.
Officials from the US and other powers have argued that sanctions will be able to be "snapped back" into place should Iran not comply with the deal.
Saying Iran was more dangerous that the Islamic State, Israeli officials on Friday warned against the threat that would be posed if Tehran were allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, which Netanyahu has described as an existential threat. "The Iranian terror machine that operates worldwide will only be strengthened," the officials said. "We must not let Iran acquire the most dangerous weapon in the world and fill its terror coffers with hundreds of billions of dollars."
Western officials have described sanctions relief as one of the thorniest disagreements between Iran and the United States, which has led the campaign of international pressure against Iran's economy.
Written by technical experts, the sanctions document revealed Saturday still must be approved by senior officials of the seven nations at the table, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the foreign ministers of Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany.
Diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on this past week's confidential negotiations, said the sanctions annex was completed this week by experts from Iran and the six world powers in the negotiations. They did not provide details of the agreement.
A senior US official did not dispute the diplomats' account but said work remained to be done on "Annex II" before the issue could be described as finalized. And beyond a political agreement that was still in the draft stage, details also needed to be finalized on tough issues contained in four other appendices.
They include inspection guidelines, rules governing Iran's research and development of advanced nuclear technology and the nuts and bolts of reducing the size and output of Iran's uranium enrichment program.
As part of a deal, the Obama administration also wants Iran to fully cooperate with the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency's investigation of allegations that Tehran worked secretly on nuclear arms - something Iran vehemently denies. But chances of progress on that issue appear to be dimming.
IAEA chief Yukiya Amano told reporters on Saturday that "more work will be needed" to advance the probe, in a statement similar to previous ones from his agency, which has struggled for nearly a decade to resolve its concerns.
Nuke deal will set up Iran to take over Middle East - http://www.timesofisrael.com/top-israeli-official-nuke-deal-will-set-up-iran-to-take-over-middle-east/
Prospective Mossad chief Ram Ben Barak warns of a Tehran immune to threats and gaining 'control wherever it pleases'
The prospective nuclear deal with Iran would empower it to take over the Middle East and trigger a regional nuclear arms race, a senior Israeli official warned in an interview published Friday.
Ram Ben Barak, director general of the Strategic Affairs Ministry and a leading candidate to be the next head of Israel's Mossad spy agency, told the Makor Rishon newspaper that "the deal which is about to be signed will allow Iran to decide by itself when it will be nuclear [armed], and that is the most problematic."
He said the lifting of sanctions would give Tehran "an ocean of money," allowing it to buy influence across the Middle East and "advance to a position where no one will be able to threaten it and it will acquire control wherever it pleases."
Ben Barak noted that there is "almost no area in the Middle East today where Iran remains uninvolved: Iraq, where Iranian interests are in line with US interests, Lebanon, where Hezbollah is effectively an Iranian division, and Yemen, which was mostly conquered by Iran."
"Think what happens if in coming years Iran will receive billions of dollars. They will have no limitations," he said.
Ben Barak is one of three candidates vying for the coveted position of Mossad chief, contending with current National Security Council chair Yossi Cohen and an unnamed deputy to current Mossad chief Tamir Pardo. Pardo is slated to step down in January 2016.
Ben Barak has only been directing the Strategic Affairs Ministry since December 2014. He began working with the Mossad in 1991 and rose through the ranks before taking on his current post.
As director general of the ministry, Ben Barak defined his role as "being the eyes and ears of the prime minister."
The Iran dossier, he said, "is one of the most important things we deal with. The Iranian issue has great influence, beyond the fact that a nuclear Iran is not something, in Israel's view, which can be tolerated."
Like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ben Barak believes that "if the Americans would insist and press more, a much better agreement could be achieved. There is no doubt a good deal is preferable to war. Everyone understands this, from the prime minister to the last citizen on the street. But a bad deal can have really serious implications."
Ben Barak said he shared the view that countries such as Egypt or Saudi Arabia were almost certain to enter a nuclear arms race to counterbalance Iran's nuclear aspirations.
"Almost certainly, this process will occur. The Saudis and Gulf states are concerned by an Iranian takeover of the region no less than we are. There are, at the end of the day, many natural resources there, and we have already seen in the past an Iraqi attempt to take over Kuwait because of its oil reserves," he said, referring to the First Gulf War.
The Iranian nuclear race, he said, is compounded by the grander Sunni-Shiite war in the Middle East. "Money is not lacking in the Gulf States, they can buy anything. As soon as they see the Iranians enter a corridor which ends with nuclear capability, they will enter this corridor too, and the entire region will be in an arms race."
All Gulf states apart from Iran have a majority of Sunni Arabs, whereas Iran is overwhelmingly Shiite and non-Arab Persian.
Ben Barak said he preferred "not to go into details" of the opportunities the geostrategic situation offers Israel in terms of alliances with moderate Sunni states. "You can see the common interest with Egypt, and I assume there are other" shared interests with other Sunni states.
Sunni states, he said, were "fighting a double fight. On the one hand there is the Shiite axis headed by Iran... and on the other side they have Sunni radicals, who see their nation-states as heretical."
Ben Barak said Iran's proxy, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, may lose its war in Syria against the Islamic State, one instance where the Sunni-Shiite conflict rages closer to Israel.
"There are Shiite militias there brought by the Iranians, and many Hezbollah fighters, but they do not succeed in holding back the rebels."
"The Shiites are no more concerned with radical [Sunni] Islam than with the Jews. In four or five years, there may be a new reality in southern Lebanon. In the Golan Heights it is already happening. The Syrian Army there is non-existent. Tomorrow we could have terror attacks on the [Golan Heights'] border fence," he added.
Asked whether the West and the international community could affect the Syrian civil war, Ben Barak responded negatively: "This conflict is stronger than the influence of the [world] powers. It's a Sunni-Shiite conflict, the Russians and the Americans do not function in it. They have some leverage with [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, but he is only one player among many. The Islamic State and [al-Qaeda affiliated] Nusra Front don't care about the powers-that-be."
Ben Barak also said an analysis which considers Israel to be at an advantage because its enemies are battling another is "an immature view."
"Wars end and then there is a new reality. Hezbollah without Syria will be crippled, because then it will have trouble getting Iranian assistance and this is important for us, but it's not clear that the alternative will be better. During the Iran-Iraq War they also said it's the best outcome for the Jews, and look where we are today. The war in Syria will stabilize, and then the common enemy will again be us. We need to prepare for this."
Voices were raised at the Vienna nuclear talks Wednesday night against obdurate Iran - http://www.debka.com/article/24725/Voices-were-raised-at-the-Vienna-nuclear-talks-Wednesday-night-against-obdurate-Iran-
European Union Foreign Executive Federica Mogherini is quoted by debkafile's intelligence sources as shouting Wednesday night, July 8, at Iran's Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif: "If that's where you stand it's a pity to waste any more time!" Jarif is quoted as snapping back: "Don't threaten us!" The US delegation led by Secretary of State John Kerry sat without moving a muscle. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stepped in to cool tempers and urged everyone to go back to the matters at issue.
The shouting started amid the discussion of sanctions relief, after the second deadline for a final deal had slipped by. The Iranians stood by their demand for the immediate lifting of all sanctions - not just the penalties for its nuclear activities, but on the score of involvement in terrorism, which Iran has consistently denied.
Other sticking points between the six powers and Iran are still the UN embargo on Iranian arms sales, restrictions on ballistic missiles and the nature and powers of the mechanism for monitoring Iran's nuclear activities.
Even before this angry exchange, President Barack Obama remarked at a closed meeting on Capital Hill Tuesday night, "The chances of a deal at this point are below 50:50." He was quoted by the top Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Assistant Democratic Leader and a close ally of Obama's. "I think it's an indication that this is crunch time and that he said he's not going to accept a weak or bad deal. He knows what's at stake here," said Durbin.
But Obama did not seem to be ruling out letting the negotiations run on for another few days.
At another meeting with US lawmakers Tuesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey spoke in particularly categorical terms against easing restrictions for Iran. "Under no circumstances should we relieve pressure on Iran relative to ballistic missile capabilities and arms trafficking," he said.
In contrast to Obama, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sounded upbeat Wednesday night, before setting out on a trip to Moscow. He said: "Negotiations with the P5+1 group are at a sensitive stage and the Islamic republic of Iran is preparing for [the period] post-negotiations and post-sanctions."
debkafile's sources agree that the rhetoric on both the American and Iranian sides is probably part and parcel of the bargaining tactics around the table in Vienna. It is therefore hard to judge whether their words are to be taken literally or maneuvers for stepping up pressure on the opposite side.
Our sources deny Israeli media reports claiming that Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman, who leads the US negotiating team, tried to call Israel's National Security Adviser Yossie Cohen for an update on the state of the negotiations, but that he avoided taking her calls. If Sherman had really phoned Cohen, our sources say, her call would have certainly been put through to him.
Chanting 'Death to America, Israel,' millions march in Iran on al-Quds Day - http://www.timesofisrael.com/chanting-death-to-israel-iran-al-quds-day-marches-draw-millions/
Protesters burn US, Israeli flags at annual rallies; condemn Saudi Arabia over Yemen conflict
Millions of Iranians took part in anti-Israel and anti-US rallies across Iran on Friday, chanting "Down with America" and "Death to Israel" on Al-Quds Day, internationally observed annually on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan
The controversial holiday was proclaimed in 1979 by Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as a religious duty for all Muslims to rally in solidarity against Israel and for the "liberation" of Jerusalem. Tehran says the occasion is meant to express support for Palestinians and emphasize the importance of Jerusalem for Muslims.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attended the protest on Friday but did not speak at the main rally in Tehran, which coincided with seemingly deadlocked nuclear talks between Iran and world powers led by the United States.
Large demonstrations were also held in Iraq and Lebanon.
Some protesters in Tehran burned Israeli and American flags. Posters showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi King Salman and US President Barack Obama in flames.
Using the al-Quds Day hashtag, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tweeted: "There are two sides in oppression: oppressor & the oppressed. We back the oppressed and are against oppressors."
At a mock checkpoint, several men and a woman dressed in Israeli army uniforms shouted at people who wanted to pass and pushed them back, threatening them with batons and guns.
"We are all here to see the freedom of Quds. The people of Palestine are oppressed and their lands occupied," said Ahmad Moghadam, a 67-year-old clerk.
"We stand behind Palestine until its people are freed."
Iranian military commanders also attended, with General Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior adviser to Khamenei, saying the al-Quds march was different this year because of a worsening regional security situation.
Iran has backed Iraqi forces against IS and Syrian government forces against rebels including Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front.
"Terrorist groups such as Daesh and Al-Nusra, with the support of the Zionists and Saudi's cruel war against the oppressed people of Yemen... have created a new situation in the region and the world," the official IRNA news agency quoted Safavi as saying.
Fereshteh Ashuri, 23, a law student, said: "We still recognize Israel as the enemy of Islam. I tell Israel to stop daydreaming and rest assured that you will collapse."
The annual event drew massive crowds, despite the scorching temperatures in Tehran, which were set to climb to 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Rallies were held in cities throughout the country.
Arch-rival Saudi Arabia was also publicly condemned at the mass rallies over its air campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen since March, AFP reported, with the main slogan of the event denouncing the killing of children in "Gaza and Yemen."
The crowd in Tehran chanted "Down with US, Israel and the House of Saud," and carried placards that declared "Zionist soldiers kill Muslims" and "the Saudi family will fall."
Demonstrators also set fire to a large effigy representing the Islamic State, labeled "Saudi's doll."
It was later burned along with American, Israeli and British flags, a common gesture at public demonstrations ever since the Islamic revolution of 1979.
The rallies come as Iran and six world powers hold talks in Vienna aimed at working out a deal to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for easing tens of billions of dollars in economic penalties on the Islamic Republic.
Earlier this week, a top Iranian general said Iran will never view the US positively, even if a deal is signed with world powers over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
The commander of the Iranian ground forces, Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, declared Sunday that a rapprochement was out of the question, as the enemy is "exploiting nations and putting them in chains," the semi-official Iranian FARS News Agency reported.
"The US might arrive at some agreements with us within the framework of the Group 5+1 [the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany], but we should never hold a positive view of the enemy," Pourdastan said.
"Our enmity with them is over principles and rooted in the fact that we are after the truth and nations' freedom, but they seek to exploit nations and put them in chains," he added.
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