The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers may be flawed, but a military strike on Iran will not yield any long-term benefits, former chief of German intelligence August Hanning told Israel Hayom in a recent exclusive interview.
Hanning, 72, was the president of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service between 1998 and 2005, when Iran's clandestine military nuclear program was first exposed, and his organization was key in exposing the scope of the Iranian deceit.
In the interview, Hanning steered clear of direct criticism of the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran but conceded that it was far from perfect.
"The negotiators said this deal was the best possible outcome under the given circumstances, even though the U.S. Congress and Israel were very critical of it," Hanning said. "If the deal is about nuclear weapons, then it can be considered a good deal because it defers an Iranian-developed bomb by at least a decade. But the deal does not apply to Iran's missile program and its conduct in the Middle East – including its support for anti-Israel terrorist groups."
Q: Can a supplemental deal be reached?
"Iran's view is clear: It has insisted that it doesn't want to hold more talks, but the question is how the U.S. acts. Europe has a vested interest in preserving the deal, and I think the Iranians share that interest, since the economic pressure may increase significantly [if the deal unravels].
"I believe that exerting pressure on Iran will make sure Iran keeps the channels of communications open while at the same time ensuring that the deal survives, despite the ongoing difficulties."
Q: Do you think the military option is on the table again?
"I know that Israel and other countries had plans to attack militarily, but Iran is not Iraq and not North Korea; I think the military option against Iran will not be particularly successful."
