Israel's Gantz Tells Sullivan How to Stop Iran From Getting Nuclear Weapons - Ministry

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz presented measures to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons at a meeting with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in the United States, the Israeli Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Earlier in the week, White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said that Iran had agreed to some concessions as part of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiations with the US to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement.

"Minister Gantz told Adviser Sullivan that Israel is against a nuclear deal as it has already been presented to interested parties and highlighted several measures that are decisive in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons," the ministry said in a statement.

Gantz also stressed the need to develop defensive and offensive potential in the face of Tehran's nuclear program and its alleged aggression in the region regardless of the discussion about a possible deal.

The Israeli minister arrived on an official visit to the US on Thursday and held a series of meetings at the CENTCOM headquarters in Florida as tensions reportedly grew between the allies over the Iranian deal.

The nuclear agreement is critical to ending US sanctions on Iranian oil exports and allowing Tehran's legitimate return to the export market for oil.

Talks between Iran and the global powers, led by the EU, have dragged on for 20 months since President Joe Biden entered office. Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump was the one who canceled the 2015 agreement in 2018, putting sanctions on Iran.