Israel's prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has warned that a nuclear Iran will prevent peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Addressing the annual Saban Forum in Washington via a video link from Jerusalem, Mr Netanyahu made a rare linkage between the two issues.
"These [peace] efforts will come to naught if Iran achieves a nuclear bomb," he said, because it would strengthen radical elements that oppose peace and would "even undermine the peace deals we have with two of our neighbours", Egypt and Jordan.
Obama critique
He spoke a day after US president Barack Obama, addressing the same forum, had criticised Israel's position on Iran's nuclear programme as unrealistic.
However, Mr Netanyahu made sure not to increase recent tension between Jerusalem and Washington over Iran, stressing instead that the two countries see eye to eye on most issues. Mr Netanyahu made it clear that he too prefers the diplomatic track to ensure that Iran does not become a nuclear threshold state, but said “for diplomacy to succeed it must be coupled with powerful sanctions and a military option”.
He said preventing a nuclear Iran is “the paramount challenge of our generation”, adding that Tehran must not only halt its programme, but also change its “genocidal” policy.
“It’s not just about Israel. Iran continues to trample the rights of its people and support the massacre in Syria.”
He warned that a nuclear Iran would literally change the course of history.
'Iranian danger'
"I don't think I can overstate, I don't think anyone can overstate, the Iranian danger," he said. "Any final deal must end military nuclear capability."
President Shimon Peres, striking a more conciliatory note, said he was ready to meet with Iranian president Hassan Rohani.
"I don't have enemies. We don't see Iran as an enemy. Antagonism isn't a personal issue. It's a matter of policy," he said. "There were days when we didn't want to meet with Yasser Arafat, but when he changed his policies, we said 'why not?' We're in favour of peace. And I believe the goal is to turn enemies into friends."
