Netanyahu: US Pushing for 'Small' Iran Nuclear Deal, State Dept Denies

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking Wednesday in a meeting with the Knesset Foreign Affairs Committee, said the U.S. is pushing for a "small" informal arrangement with Iran in order to prevent a military confrontation over Iran's uranium enrichment program.

According to a report in The New York Times, Israeli, U.S., and Iranian sources have confirmed that the two sides, in a series of meetings brokered by Qatar, are nearing agreement to limit Tehran's nuclear enrichment to 60 percent purity.

Iran would also agree to stop terrorist proxies from attacking U.S. contractors in Iraq and Syria and meet certain other conditions. In exchange, the U.S. would unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian assets, and stop pursuing sanctions. Another element of what the Israeli prime minister called a "mini-deal" may include a prisoner exchange.

The Jerusalem Post quotes Netanyahu as saying, "Over 90 percent of (Israel's) security problems come from Iran and its proxies." Before the Knesset meeting, he stated. “Our stance is clear: No agreement with Iran will oblige Israel." He added, “Israel will continue to do everything to defend itself.” He also warned that Israel must be concerned about Iran's ballistic missile program as well as the nuclear program.

Concerning the specific reports of Israeli discussions with Iran, Netanyahu was quoted in the Hebrew language media as saying "This is not the agreement we know (referring to the 2015 Obama administration-backed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action approved by the U.N. and vigorously opposed by Israel) – this is an agreement we know how to live with."

On Tuesday, State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller called reports of a deal "completely false."

"There are a number of reports we have seen by various outlets about different deals and purported deals, the vast majority of those reports have been wrong or completely misleading," Miller added.

However, an Iranian source in The New York Times report referred to the potential agreement a "political cease-fire," and two Israeli officials called the deal "imminent."

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