Guilty by association: Israel, Iran and North Korea

With negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program underway in Vienna, Israel’s prime minister denounced Iran while traveling in Japan. Benjamin Netanyahu labeled Iran as an international threat comparable to North Korea. An interim agreement expires July 20th Netanyahu worries about a rushed resolution. Netanyahu may hope to influence negotiations by drawing interest from countries beyond the Middle East. Israel's strategy rests on a precarious assumption, that no deal is better than a weak deal. “What is lacking from Israeli strategic thinking, however, is the development of a long term strategy to deal with Iranian capabilities if the negotiations fail,” writes Yossi Mekelberg for Al Arabiya Network. "An even trickier situation may occur, if the negotiations are successful and all the issues of a Middle East Nuclear Free Zone are resumed with the international community requesting more transparency from Israel on the matter.” – YaleGlobal