Israel
says 'denuclearised' Korean peninsula helpful versus Iran
APRIL 28, 2018 / 2:31 AM / UPDATED 7 HOURS AGO
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Friday’s historic pledge by the leaders of the
two Koreas to work to denuclearize the Korean peninsula should give U.S.
President Donald Trump a stronger hand to renegotiate the treaty curtailing
Iran’s nuclear programme, Israel’s intelligence minister said.
Israeli Intelligence and Transportation Minister Israel Katz poses for
a portrait following an interview with Reuters in New York, U.S., April 27,
2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Israel Katz, who runs both the Intelligence and Transportation
ministries, spoke in a Reuters interview after North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and
South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to work for a “complete
denuclearisation” of the peninsula at a summit meeting in Seoul.
Such a development, should it come to fruition, could have a larger
impact of minimizing the threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, Katz
said.
The 2015 Iran Nuclear agreement, which Israel’s government vehemently
opposed, is in danger of unravelling should U.S. President Donald Trump decide
by May 12 to restore U.S. economic sanctions against Iran.
Trump has called the accord the worst deal ever negotiated and
threatened to reimpose the U.S. penalties unless Britain, France and Germany
can fix its “flaws.” The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in return for
curbing its nuclear programme.
“He (Trump) will have more power against Iran now and maybe to
convince the European Union not to be the weak link in the coalition,” Katz
said.
Israeli Intelligence and Transportation Minister Israel Katz poses for
a portrait following an interview with Reuters in New York, U.S., April 27,
2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
“I think it will be very good if the North Koreans will finish and go
out of the nuclear business and capabilities. It will also be good to our
region, because there is a connection,” he said.
Katz said the connection between Iran and North Korea pertains to
missile technology.
“Yes, I think there is cooperation as it belongs to developing the
ballistic missiles. And we have the evidence,” he said.
“We have a lot of evidence,” Katz added, shrugging his shoulders
without elaborating.
Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which all struck the
accord with Iran and the United States, see the deal as the best way to stop
Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.
During his state visit earlier this week with Trump in Washington,
French President Emmanuel Macron called for the U.S. not to abandon the deal
and said a new package of terms was being prepared with Britain and Germany.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a one-day working visit with
Trump on Friday, where she was careful to praise Trump’s progress on North
Korea.
“I think that now we have to be very tough with Iran,” said Katz, who
wants to succeed Netanyahu as Israel’s next prime minister.
Slideshow (2 Images)
REGIONAL CONFLICT
While Iran’s nuclear capabilities are curtailed for the time being,
Katz reiterated that Israel would remain vigilant in seeking to curb Tehran’s
increased activities in Syria.
On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards
Corps members at a Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified
retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian
military assets in Syria.
The Israelis have said their strikes aim to prevent Iran’s garrison in
Syria from entrenching itself deeper in support of President Bashar al-Assad
and linking with Hezbollah in Lebanon to form a broad front against them.
“Iranians don’t have to be in Syria. It is not to say we are going to
attack every Iranian soldier in Syria, but bases, military bases, and munitions
bases, and sophisticated missiles and other things like that? Yes,” he said.
Russia, a key ally of Assad, has said it would provide advanced
weapons to Syria. Israel is concerned that might include the S-300
surface-to-air missile system, which military analysts say would improve
Russia’s ability to control air space in Syria.
“They are talking about to supply advanced missiles, but they didn’t
say the words S-300,” Katz said.
“Personally, it is hard for me to believe that Putin will give them
the S-300,” he said. “Because this is his main card that he is holding now in
the discussions with Israel ... If he will give them the S-300, about what can
he talk about with us afterward?”
Reporting by Daniel Bases; Editing by Tom Brown
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