Israel's leader reacted furiously to the West’s nuclear deal with Iran yesterday, warning that it would threaten his country’s very survival. Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran’s agreement to reduce some of its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions would pave the way for Tehran to build an atomic bomb. In Iran yesterday, thousands danced in the streets to celebrate the landmark accord which could finally result in the easing of economic restrictions that have caused the price of essentials to soar and businesses to go bust. Danger: Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal will 'increase Iran's aggression and terror throughout the Middle-East' But Israel, which fears an Iranian nuclear attack, issued a series of dire warnings. Mr Netanyahu insisted that he and his Cabinet were united in ‘strongly opposing’ an agreement. ‘This deal would legitimise Iran’s nuclear programme, bolster Iran’s economy and increase Iran’s aggression and terror throughout the Middle East and beyond,’ the prime minister said. ‘It would increase the risks of nuclear proliferation in the region and the risks of a horrific war.’ Other critics including Saudi Arabia and Republicans in the US say the deal leaves scope for Iran to cheat. Barack Obama, however, has hailed the agreement struck after tortuous negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a ‘historic understanding’. There are still many details to be thrashed out before the deal is due to be signed on June 30, including the pace at which sanctions will be lifted and what happens if Iran is found to have breached the terms. But Mr Netanyahu told President Obama in a phone call yesterday that the existing framework ‘would threaten the survival of Israel’. According to tweets from his spokesman Mark Regev, Mr Netanyahu said: ‘The deal would not shut down a single nuclear facility in Iran. The deal would legitimise Iran’s illegal nuclear programme. ‘The alternative is standing firm and increasing the pressure on Iran until a better deal is achieved.’ Historic understanding: President Barack Obama hailed the nuclear agreement between Iran and U.S. while critics issued stark warnings . Mr Netanyahu is demanding that any final agreement must involve Iran’s recognition of Israel’s right to exist. President Hassan Rouhani has pledged that Iran will abide by its commitments in the nuclear agreement, which ends a standoff between Western powers and Iran lasting several years. Countries involved in the so-called P5+1 talks are the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. Under the proposed terms, Iran must reduce the number of its centrifuges, the equipment used to enrich uranium into nuclear fuel, by two thirds, and can only enrich it enough to use for domestic power generation, not weapons. The deal also means that for the first time the Iranians will agree to have their nuclear plants inspected. And a major nuclear plant at Fordow will have to become a research lab, although one at Natanz can still carry out enrichment. Mr Obama said yesterday: ‘This will be a long-term deal, that addresses each path to a potential Iranian nuclear bomb. If Iran cheats, the world will know about it.’ He said that if the deal is finalised, ‘we will be able to resolve one of the greatest threats to our security, and to do so peacefully’. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif insisted his country was not surrendering and stood to gain from the deal. After arriving home, he issued a statement saying: ‘We have serious goals in the negotiations and eventually, based on what we have achieved so far, we believe we can reach them.’
Lifting sanctions could pave the way for Iran to build atomic bomb . Obama hailed new deal as a 'historic understanding' Critics including Saudi Arabia fear deal gives Iran scope to cheat .