Israel Releases List of Demands on Iran Deal

On Monday, Israel listed requirements that should be implemented as part of any nuclear deal the west makes with Iran. Yuval Steinitz, Israel’s minister of intelligence and strategic affairs, suggested additions to the deal that would make it “more reasonable.”

According to the New York Times, the suggestions include:

1. No more research and development activity on advanced centrifuges;
2. A healthy cut in the number of centrifuges that are operational or can quickly become operational if Iran decides to ignore any agreement and build a nuclear bomb;
3. The end of the underground Fordow facility, which has been used as an uranium enrichment site, whether or not Iran stops enriching uranium there;
4. A guarantee that Iran will transfer its stockpile of enriched uranium out of the country;
5. Iran coming clean about its past use of enrichment for military purposes;
6. The freedom for nuclear inspectors who must verify Iran’s compliance with the agreement to arrive at any time and look anywhere in Iran.

Iran currently has 19,000 centrifuges. Fordow’s site is so deep, bombs may not be able to reach it.

According to data collected from International Atomic Energy Agency, Federation of American Scientists, Institute for Science and International Security, Arms Control Association, Nuclear Threat Initiative, and the World Nuclear Association, the Iranians have lied about their nuclear program for years:

In August 2002, an Iranian opposition group revealsed Iran didn’t admit building a uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, which defied Iran’s original IAEA agreement, which specified Iran to come forth with such design information “as early as possible before nuclear material is introduced.”

July 2005: U.S. officials reveal to IAEA investigators nuclear-weapon-related documents on a laptop that were purportedly from Iran.

February 2006: Iran ignores the Additional Protocol that mandated wider inspections. The IAEA reported Iran to the UN Security Council.

September 2009: Iran admits a second uranium enrichment facility at Fordow.

November 2011: IAEA reveals evidence received by unidentified countries that shows Iran’s nuclear program may have military dimensions.