The Iran nuclear program's heavy-water reactor at Arak, one of the sticking points in nuclear talks with world powers. Photo: Nanking2012 via Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Iran is refusing to compromise on seven out of the eight key points in its nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 powers, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz said Thursday.

Steinitz said that if the two sides are indeed close to reaching a deal, it means the West will be conceding on a number of central issues. According to Steinitz, the eight key points on the agenda in the nuclear talks include the number of active centrifuges, reducing the uranium stockpile, dismantling infrastructure, research and development of advanced centrifuges, the Arak heavy-water reactor, the Fordow enrichment facility, ballistic missile development and militarization of the nuclear program, and the duration of the nuclear agreement.

So far, the Iranians have only agreed to make significant concessions on their uranium stockpile.

“Our approach is that we cannot live with a minimized [nuclear] threat, but only with the complete removal of the threat,” Steinitz said. “That is a fundamentally different approach [from that of the P5+1 powers in negotiations].”

“Secondly, the deal should be for several decades, not just 10 years,” he added. “As it stands, the emerging deal allows Iran a shorter breakthrough time to developing the bomb, within only a few years, and then it can quickly create many bombs.”

Steinitz recently met with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano at the Munich Security Conference.

“I told [Amano] he must demand as a condition to any future agreement that the Iranians reveal their past nuclear experiments,” Steinitz said. “This demand must not disappear in light of the deal. Otherwise, you, as director of the [IAEA] will destroy your opportunity to get answers from them—which will also affect your ability in the future to monitor other countries, as they will ask for similar treatment.”