Israel calls world powers to take 'hard line' toward Iranian nuke talks

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has urged the world powers to "take a hard line" toward Iran in the negotiations on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

"I call on every country negotiating with Iran in Vienna to take a strong line and make it clear to Iran that it is impossible to negotiate and enrich uranium at the same time," Xinhua news agency quoted Bennett as saying.

The Israeli Prime Minister made the remark while reffering to the latest round of talks which has been briefly paused in Austria's capital Vienna last week.

"Iran must start paying for its violations," he said, according to a statement issued by his office.

Bennett said that Israel will continue to pressure world powers not to lift all sanctions. "We are holding an intensive dialogue on this matter with the Americans, the British, the French, Russia and others," he said.

Bennett's remarks came as Israel's top security officials were heading to the US and Europe for talks on Iran.

On Saturday night, David Barnea, chief of Israel's Mossad spy agency, flew to Washington, and Defence Minister Benny Gantz is planning to depart on Wednesday for meetings with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Last week, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited London and Paris to discuss the talks with his European counterparts.

--IANS

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