Netanyahu calls for dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme in any US deal

Israeli prime minister details demands on Iran as US prepares to hold second round of nuclear talks in Geneva.Published On 16 Feb 2026Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has outlined the conditions he considers necessary for any prospective deal between the United States and Iran, including the dismantling of all of Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.His comments on Sunday came as Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi headed to Switzerland for a second round of nuclear talks with the US.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,453list 2 of 3Israel kills 11 in Gaza as Trump announces $5bn pledge from Board of Peacelist 3 of 3Israel bombs Lebanon-Syria border, kills four peopleend of listSpeaking at the annual Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Netanyahu said he was sceptical of a deal, but had told US President Donald Trump last week that any agreement must include several elements.“The first is that all enriched material has to leave Iran,” he said.“The second is that there should be no enrichment capability – not stopping the enrichment process, but dismantling the equipment and the infrastructure that allows you to enrich in the first place”.The third, he said, was resolving the issue of ballistic missiles.Netanyahu also called for sustained inspections of Tehran’s nuclear programme.“There has to be real inspection, substantive inspections, no lead-time inspections, but effective inspections for all of the above,” he said.Iran and the US resumed nuclear negotiations in Oman on February 6, months after previous talks collapsed when Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last June, which started a 12-day war.The US joined in the attacks, bombing three Iranian nuclear sites.Netanyahu’s comments mark the first time he has spoken publicly on the discussions with Trump in Washington, DC, last Wednesday. The meeting was their seventh since Trump returned to office last year.