Israel’s proposal that Iran totally dismantle its nuclear capacity in exchange for sanctions relief would likely lead to war, a top White House official told think tanks and advocacy groups sympathetic to the Obama administration’s Iran strategy, in a conference call on Wednesday.

According to the recording, obtained by JTA on condition that it not name the participants or fully quote them, the White House official said that given a choice between “total capitulation” and advancing toward a nuclear weapon, Iran would choose the weapon. That posture, the official said, would “close the door on diplomacy” and would “essentially lead to war.”

The official sounded notes of frustration with Israel’s pushback against the U.S. proposal for a “first step” deal that would exchange some sanctions relief for some rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, overlooking the six-month window opportunity to influence the deal.

(YWN Headquarters – NYC)