Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett this weekend blasted world powers for including in the comprehensive agreement with Iran a provision that in essence suggests that they, including the U.S., might protect Iranian nuclear facilities from future external threats, including “sabotage.”
Co-operation..training..workshops to strengthen Iran’s ability to protect against, and respond to nuclear security threats includ’ sabotage.
— Naftali Bennett (@naftalibennett) July 18, 2015
Bonus: Iran deal requires the world to help train Iran to protect itself against attack on facilities. Annex 3. #actually_true
— Naftali Bennett (@naftalibennett) July 18, 2015
Bennett was referring to Annex III of the agreement forged between Iran, the U.S. and five world powers which addressed issues related to nuclear security.
In the section titled “Nuclear Security,” the document states that those who negotiated the deal — the U.S., China, France, Russia, the U.K. and Germany — “and possibly other states, as appropriate, are prepared to cooperate with Iran on the implementation of nuclear security guidelines and best practices”:
Co-operation in the following areas can be envisaged:
10.1. Co-operation in the form of training courses and workshops to strengthen Iran’s ability to prevent, protect and respond to nuclear security threats to nuclear facilities and systems as well as to enable effective and sustainable nuclear security and physical protection systems;
10.2. Co-operation through training and workshops to strengthen Iran’s ability to protect against, and respond to nuclear security threats, including sabotage, as well as to enable effective and sustainable nuclear security and physical protection systems.
Bennett wasn’t the only one to sound the alarm, particularly, about clause 10.2.
“Obama Agrees to Be Bodyguard for Iran’s Nuclear Program” was the headline on the website Iran Truth run by the Washington-based think tank the Center for Security Policy which opposes the deal.
The Center for Security Policy asserted that Annex III appears “to commit the United States and other world powers to the defense of Iran’s nuclear program.”
The right-wing website Israel National News called the same provision of the agreement “disturbing.”
“The direct reference to sabotage in the deal’s text is highly significant, given that Israel – as well as U.S. President Barack Obama – has been accused of launching several cyber sabotage attempts in the past to delay Iran’s suspected march to obtaining nuclear weapons,” observed the news outlet.
Iran has accused Israel of working to sabotage its nuclear efforts, including blaming the Jewish state for assassinating nuclear scientists.
It has also blamed Israel and the U.S. for launching the Stuxnet worm discovered in 2010 which struck Iranian nuclear enrichment work.
