An Israeli minister said that Washington is gambling with Tel Aviv’s security as it grapples for a nuclear deal with Iran, renewing threats it could conduct its own military strikes.

An Israeli minister said that Washington is gambling with Tel Aviv’s security as it grapples for a nuclear deal with Iran, renewing threats it could conduct its own military strikes.

Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, dispatched by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to campaign against a nascent deal being negotiated by world powers with Iran, spoke out against moves.
"While I yearn for peace I do not believe that now, is the right time to gamble with our security," Bennett said on Thursday.

The tough sanctions now in place against Iran must not falter, Bennett insisted in a speech to the Brookings Saban Center for Middle East Policy.

With the Iranian economy squeezed "now is the precise time to tell them, 'either or'. Either you have a nuclear weapon program, or you have an economy, but you can't have both," said Bennett, the leader of the far right Jewish Home party.

"It's like a boxing match where the other guy's on the floor and the referee's counting six, seven, eight, nine and at this very last moment we go and pick him up and let off the pressure. Now's not the time to let up."

He insisted the goal of the negotiations being led by six powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- should not be just pausing Iran's nuclear program but dismantling it completely.
"I'm convinced that if we ratchet up the pressure we'll get the right deal," he said.

Bennett alleged that with 18,500 centrifuges already, Tehran could potentially make seven-and-a-half bombs a year, estimating that would give it a breakout capacity to nuclear weapons capability of only six weeks.
"Israel will never outsource its security. And our track record speaks for itself," Bennett said.