In an extremely unusual step, the Mossad issued a statement Thursday denying the intelligence agency was lobbying US lawmakers against stiffer Iran sanctions and saying that such legislation may lead to a collapse of talks with the Islamic Republic. Were the Mossad to take that position, it would directly contradict the policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is calling for tougher sanctions on Iran. US Secretary of State John Kerry, apparently referring to a briefing Pardo held with a high-level group of seven US senators earlier this week, said that an Israeli intelligence official said a tougher sanctions bill at this time would be “like throwing a grenade into the process.” According to the Mossad statement, the agencys head Tamir Pardo met Monday, with Netanyahus approval, with the senate delegation and emphasized the “exceptional effectiveness of the sanctions imposed on Iran in recent years,” noting that the sanctions are what drove Iran to the negotiation table.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 01:13:41 +0000
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