JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows he's often portrayed as a "nuclear party pooper," but he isn't the only voice in the Middle East opposed to a nuclear deal with Iran.
'Now, I know I'm often portrayed as the nuclear party pooper," Netanyahu told participants at the annual Herzliya conference. "And that would be okay if I was the only voice against the impending deal with Iran."
"I speak with quite a few of our neighbors, more than you think, and I want to tell you that nobody in this region believes this deal will block Iran's path to the bomb or, as I said, to many bombs," he said.
"To those who say this deal will change Iran, I say you got it backwards," he continued. "First, Iran should change. Then make the deal. Only then should you reward it with technology and money."
Netanyahu said Iran will use the billions it gains from sanctions relief to continue its aggression.
"I think there is a belief that if Iran is more prosperous at home, it will be less aggressive abroad," he said. "But $50 billion, $150 billion or more is a lot of money because this big money is big money for Iran's worldwide campaigns of terror, big money for Iran's regional aggression, big money for Iran's unprecedented conventional arms buildup, big money for Iran's cyber warfare program, and big money for Iran's nuclear program."
"And according to this deal, Iran gets this big money regardless of its behavior. That isn't even mentioned in the deal," he added.
June 30 is the target date for a comprehensive deal that President Barack Obama says will curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
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