World press on Israel's role in Iranian nuclear crisis (September 20, 2013)

The Jerusalem Post published an article by Herb Kenon headlined "Israel pushes world not to be deceived by Rouhani as he takes 'charm offensive' to US airwaves."

"Jerusalem urged the world on Thursday not to be fooled by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s smiles and to intensify sanctions against the regime until he takes concrete steps toward dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program," the article begins.

"One should not be taken in by Rouhani’s deceptive words. The same Rouhani boasted in the past how he deceived the international community with nuclear talks, even as Iran was continuing with its nuclear program," the Jerusalem Post cites Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as saying in a statement.

The Prime Minister’s Office comments followed the Iranian president’s two-part interview with NBC, the author of the article informs. In his interview Rouhani said Iran was not seeking war and blamed Israel for bringing “instability” to the Middle East and for questioning his government’s intentions toward nuclear arms. 

"The interview was the latest of moves by Rouhani – which included a recent letter exchange with US President Barack Obama – aimed at improving relations with the West," the author writes. "The White House said on Thursday that the president is open to direct talks between Iran and the US, but only if Tehran is serious about getting rid of its nuclear weapons program."

"With both Rouhani and Obama attending the UN General Assembly next week, speculation has grown that the two leaders might have an encounter of some type. It would be a significant contact – no American president has met a top Iranian leader since the 1979 overthrow of the shah and the taking of American hostages at the US Embassy in Tehran," the author believes.