British Foreign Secretary Hammond Slams Israel’s Opposition to Iran Deal
by JNS.org
JNS.org – British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, who played a key role in negotiating the Iran nuclear deal, slammed Israel’s response to the agreement, alleging that the Jewish state prefers a “permanent state of standoff” on the issue.
“The question you have to ask yourself is what kind of a deal would have been welcomed in Tel Aviv. The answer of course is that Israel doesn’t want any deal with Iran,” Hammond said, The Guardian reported.
“Israel wants a permanent state of standoff and I don’t believe that’s in the interests of the region. I don’t believe it’s in our interest,” he added.
Meanwhile, Hammond said Wednesday that the U.K. hopes to re-open its Iranian embassy before the end of the year. The British embassy in Tehran was shuttered in 2011 when Iranian protesters stormed it. Hammond also said he has spoken with British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne about the “quite substantial” business opportunities arising from the Iran deal.