JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli military cautiously welcomed on Thursday the expected international deal which would curb Iran's nuclear programme, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lobbied for tougher terms to be imposed on Tehran.
In remarks carried by several Israeli media outlets, an unnamed senior military officer said that if agreed by its June 30 deadline, the deal would provide clarity on the direction of Iran's nuclear programme.
Western powers fear that Iran harbours ambitions to build an atomic bomb and years of talks have centred on eradicating the alleged threat. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
The officer said that for now, measures sought by world powers such as stepped-up international inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities and scaling back of its uranium enrichment "allow for the supposition that, in the coming period of years, this is a threat in decline".
An Israeli military source authenticated the quotes to Reuters, confirming that they reflected thinking at the highest levels of the armed forces.
Israel, which is widely assumed to be the only Middle Eastern country with a nuclear arsenal, sees Iran as its biggest foe. The Netanyahu government has lobbied hard against the nuclear deal, calling for tighter constraints on Tehran's nuclear activities.
Israeli generals often say the more immediate danger is a possible war with Iran's guerrilla allies in neighbouring Lebanon, Syria or Gaza.