Netanyahu: Iran deal ‘fundamentally flawed’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called the emerging Iran deal “fundamentally flawed” as negotiators scramble to finalize the agreement days before a deadline.

In a graduation speech to Israeli Air Force cadets in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said the tentative pact fell short of the international community’s initial goals and conceded too much to Iran.

“Even if in the next few days Iran gives up on some of those demands, the basic concessions made by the world powers would be enormous and would be a significant retreat from red lines they publicly set before,” Netanyahu said, according to The Jerusalem Post.

{mosads}“Israel will always defend itself,” he added.

Netanyahu’s harsh criticism comes just five days before a June 30 final deadline for a lasting accord.

Intensive last-minute negotiations over the agreement start in Vienna this week.

Secretary of State John Kerry will lead the U.S. and key powers — Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia — in the talks with Tehran.

President Obama has said that the proposed deal will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, despite reservations from many U.S. allies and congressional Republicans.

But in an open letter Wednesday, many of his former advisers on Iran expressed concerns the deal is not strict enough on Tehran.

“Most of us would have preferred a stronger agreement,” said the letter, whose signatories include former CIA Director David Petraeus and former Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.).

“We fear that the current negotiations, unless conducted along the lines outlined in this paper and buttressed by a resolute regional strategy, may fall short of meeting the administration’s own standard of a ‘good’ agreement,’ they added.

Hardliners in Iran are also upping their rhetoric ahead of the deadline.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, accused Western powers of “excessive coercion” during negotiations in a heated speech on Tuesday evening.

He argued that the so-called P5+1 group of world powers is acting unfairly by lifting sanctions only after Iran has met its parts of the final bargain.

The Obama administration is hoping Iran will slow or stop its nuclear energy research in exchange for economic sanctions relief.

Obama has long argued diplomacy is the best method for preventing an Iran armed with nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu has countered that Iran threatens Israel’s existence and has failed to honor its commitments in previous deals.