Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday that the emerging deal over Iran's nuclear program is less stringent than the previous one, which was signed in 2015.
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World powers have been negotiating in Vienna in a bid to revive the agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Israel vehemently opposed that accord and has urged negotiators to take a hard line against the Islamic republic in the current round of talks.
Iranian lawmakers, meanwhile, have urged Iran's president to obtain guarantees from the US and European countries that they won't withdraw from the deal after it is renegotiated.
"The emerging new deal is shorter and weaker than the previous one," Bennett told a meeting of his Cabinet.
He said the deal would see Iran rein in its nuclear activity for two and a half years, rather than the 10 years under the previous deal, granting Tehran sanctions relief for only a brief slowdown of its nuclear activity. After that, Bennett said, the regime could develop and install "stadiums of centrifuges."
The prime minister also said that sanctions relief would free up cash Iran will use to fund its proxies along Israel's borders.
"Israel is in any case preparing and is ready for the day after, in every parameter, so that we can know how to protect Israeli civilians by ourselves," he said.
Israel has urged an improved deal that places tighter restrictions on Iran's nuclear program and addresses its long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies along Israel's borders, like Hezbollah.
Jerusalem also insisted that the negotiations must be accompanied by a "credible" military threat to ensure that Iran does not delay indefinitely.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told participants at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday that the talks have come a long way over the past 10 months and "all elements for a conclusion of the negotiations are on the table." But he also criticized Iran for stepping up its enrichment and restricting inspections by monitors from the UN nuclear agency.
Iran's foreign minister said that it's up to Western countries to show flexibility and "the ball is now in their court."
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