Israel forecasts unavoidable "bad deal" with Iran in nuclear talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday there is no way to halt the nuclear deal with Iran, yet he is committed to "prevent Iran from arming itself with nuclear weapons."

Netanyahu reiterated his warning that world powers are rushing to seal an agreement "at any price."

"This poor agreement is unavoidable," Netanyahu expressed during a meeting with his Likud faction in the Knesset (parliament).

However, he stressed that Israel is not "committed to prevent an agreement, certainly not one that major powers are ready to sign at any price."

"Our pledge is preventing Iran from arming itself with nuclear weapons and it is as valid today as it ever was," he said, adding that if not for Israel's "efforts over the years, Iran would currently be developing atomic bombs."

Netanyahu reiterated in recent months that a nuclear Iran poses an "existential threat" for Israel, calling on the international community to "wait for a better deal."

Negotiators in the talks said an announcement of a historic deal was planned Monday.

Following the presentation of the framework agreement in Lausanne in April, the parties were ready to reach an agreement by June 30. The deadline was then postponed twice, once to July 7 and then to July 13.

The international community aims to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, in exchange for the lifting of the debilitating economic sanctions imposed on Iran in the past years.

Talks amongst the parties commenced in 2013, following the election of Hassan Rouhani, with an interim agreement reached in November of that year.

Controversial issues include the international community's supervision over Iran's nuclear program as well as the lifting of sanctions.

Iran claims its nuclear ambitions target peaceful purposes, whilst Netanyahu contends a nuclear Iran would pose an existential threat to Israel. Endit