Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed on Sunday the need for any agreement with Iran to include completely dismantling its nuclear infrastructure, and not just stopping enrichment, while Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi left for Geneva to conduct the second round of nuclear discussions under international mediation.
Published on: 02/15/2026 - 18:33 Last updated: 02/16/2026 - 11:13
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that he informed US President Donald Trump last week that any agreement with Iran must include dismantling its nuclear infrastructure, and not merely stopping the enrichment process.
He continued in his speech before the annual conference of heads of major American Jewish organizations that Israel still must “complete the mission” of destroying all tunnels in Gaza.
He added that Israel has already dismantled 150 kilometers out of approximately 500 kilometers.
It is noteworthy that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi left on Sunday for Switzerland for the second round of discussions with the United States, according to what the Iranian Foreign Ministry reported.
A statement from the ministry included that Araqchi “left Tehran for Geneva on Sunday evening at the head of a diplomatic and technical delegation to conduct the second round of nuclear discussions and hold a series of diplomatic consultations,” explaining that these “indirect” discussions will be held on Tuesday through the mediation of the Sultanate of Oman.
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During his visit to Geneva, Araghchi is expected to hold talks with his Swiss and Omani counterparts, in addition to the Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, and other international officials, according to the Foreign Ministry statement.
Tehran and Washington resumed their negotiations in Muscat on February 6, months after the collapse of the previous talks following Israel’s launch of a war on Iran last June, which lasted twelve days.
The recent talks came in light of Washington's threat to Tehran with military action, and its deployment of an aircraft carrier and its military group in the region following a bloody crackdown on protests against the Iranian authorities last month.
Araqchi led the Iranian negotiating delegation in Muscat, where he held indirect discussions with the American delegation led by the Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Iran insists that the discussions be limited to the nuclear file, which Western countries suspect is aimed at developing an atomic weapon, something Tehran always denies. On the other hand, American and Western officials spoke of the need for any agreement with the Islamic Republic to include research into its ballistics program and its support for armed groups in the region hostile to Israel.
Switzerland has played a pivotal role in diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States for decades. In this context, it has represented American interests in Iran since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Tehran following the hostage crisis in 1980, a year after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
Fars News Agency quoted Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Ghanbari as saying, “Tehran seeks to conclude an agreement with the United States that will bring economic benefits to the two countries, especially in sectors such as aviation, mining, oil and gas.”
Qanbari added, "For the agreement to be applicable, it is necessary for the United States to also benefit from it in areas that generate large and rapid economic returns."
France 24/AFP/Reuters
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