Israeli PM slams possible Iran deal amid last-minute negotiations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued to speak against the possible nuclear agreement between the international community and Iran, as the official deadline for the deal is set to expire on Tuesday night.

"The agreement being formulated in Lausanne paves the way to arm Iran with nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said Tuesday at an official ceremony inaugurating the members of the 20th Knesset (parliament) regarding the negotiations held at the Swiss town.

Netanyahu has recently repeated the sentiment amid the efforts of the P5+1 countries, namely the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain plus Germany, to reach an outline for a final agreement which limits Iran's nuclear ambitions in exchange for lifting the international sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

He said that the upcoming agreement "will leave in Iran's possession underground installations, the Arak nuclear reactor and advanced centrifuges," which he deemed as unnecessary for peaceful purposes.

Netanyahu also said such a deal would cut short Iran's breakout time to achieve matters for nuclear bombs to less than a year, while it is still pursuing the manufacturing of ballistic missiles.

Netanyahu made the issues of a nuclear Iran the main focus of his leadership.

He had recently spoken against the deal in the U.S. congress, in contrast to the White House stance, which further alienated the already-shaky relations between the two close allies who differ on how to approach Iran's nuclear prospects.

Iran and the international community started negotiations over Iran's nuclear program in mid-November and reached an interim agreement in November 2013. Endit