Israel 'committed' to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear arms

Jerusalem, April 18 (IANS) Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Friday that he is committed, along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and all parties, to leading a "clear course of action" to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Katz noted that when appointed defence minister in November last year, he pledged to achieve two main goals: preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and winning the multi-front war.

"The military is currently fighting for victory in all arenas," he said, adding, "We will not allow threats of annihilation against Israel."

His remarks echoed a Thursday statement from Netanyahu's office, which insisted that Israel would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, Xinhua news agency reported. The Israeli rhetoric came ahead of the second round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, which will be held this weekend in the Italian capital of Rome.

The first round of indirect talks was held in Oman's Muscat last week, with both sides describing the talks as "constructive".

Oman's Foreign Ministry will continue to mediate the second round of nuclear talks between US and Iranian officials scheduled to take place in Rome on Saturday.

In a statement, the ministry said the Italian capital was chosen as the new site for the talks due to logistical reasons, expressing hope that the discussions could make further progress toward reaching a just, binding, and sustainable agreement.

Oman also expressed appreciation to the Italian government for its cooperation and support in hosting the upcoming meeting.

With Oman's mediation, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi engaged in a first round of "indirect" discussions with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in Muscat on April 12, focused on Iran's nuclear programme and the potential removal of US sanctions.

The talks in Muscat, described by both sides as "constructive," followed US President Donald Trump's statement in early March that he had sent a letter to Iranian leaders, delivered through the United Arab Emirates, proposing negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme. Iran later agreed on indirect talks.

--IANS

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