US Secretary of State John Kerry criticized opponents of a prospective deal on Iran's nuclear program, particularly Israel, for failing to recognize the realities on the ground, saying they are suffering from "hysteria".
“There’s a lot of hysteria about this deal,” Kerry said, “People really need to look at the facts, and they need to look at the science behind those facts.”
He made the remarks in an interview with Israel's Channel 10 Television on Saturday. Stressing that Iran has adhered to the commitments it made in and during the negotiations so far, Kerry said, "We will have inspectors in there every single day. That's not a 10-year deal. That's forever. There have to be inspections."
Iran and the major powers have been in talks to reach a settlement to the 12-year dispute over Tehran's nuclear program. They released a joint statement on April 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to announce a landmark understanding on the framework of the final deal, whose details have to be worked out by a June 30 deadline.
The prospective agreement would place constraints on Iran's nuclear program, with international sanctions against the country being lifted in return. Kerry's remarks came as the US administration’s diplomatic efforts have been assailed by staunchly pro-Israel Republicans and hawkish Democrats as well its key ally, Israel.
The occupying regime, which is the sole nuclear weapon power in the strategic region, has vehemently attacked the Obama White House in its bid to compromise with Tehran on the nuclear issue and put an end to one of the most protracted political disputes between the US and Iran in contemporary history.
Last week Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif offered assurances in an interview at New York University that Tehran is willing to submit to the highest level of international transparency on its nuclear program and wants to conclude a final accord as soon as possible.
