DHAKA: Israel’s prime minister says Iranians “deserve better” than their current government and that their lives could get worse if it gains nuclear weapons.

In an interview with BBC Persian, Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “If they get nuclear weapons this brutal regime will be immortal, like North Korea.”

He also said the new President, Hassan Rouhani, could not “change the real decisions” made by the Supreme Leader.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Rouhani have said they reject nuclear weapons.

They insist Iran’s nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes, but world powers suspect they are not being truthful.

There has nevertheless been a recent thaw in relations between Iran and the United States, with Mr Rouhani and President Barack Obama recently discussing the issue - the first top-level conversation between the two countries for more than 30 years.

On Tuesday, Iranian diplomats at the United Nations reacted angrily after Mr Netanyahu described their president as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” in a speech to the General Assembly.

Source: BBC
BDST: 1730 HRS, OCT 04, 2013
SR/AKA/SRS