Israeli Prime Minister <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/2022/02/14/israeli-prime-minister-naftali-bennett-flies-to-bahrain-for-talks-on-regional-cooperation/" target="_blank">Naftali Bennett</a> on Sunday said a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/2022/02/18/iran-nuclear-deal-draft-makes-release-of-prisoners-and-funds-a-priority/" target="_blank">nuclear deal</a> between Iran and world powers could be reached “shortly”. The negotiations have gathered pace in recent days, and Tehran said it was ready for an agreement as soon as possible. Mr Bennett said talks were “advancing quickly” and an accord may be reached “shortly”, without giving a precise time frame. “The new apparent agreement is shorter and weaker than the previous one,” he said at the start of a Cabinet meeting. The Israeli Prime Minister said the tabled agreement runs until 2025. He did not say how he obtained that information. Israel was opposed to the 2015 deal between Iran and six other countries: China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the US. Tehran received sanctions relief under the accord, in exchange for curbing its nuclear programme. The deal was weakened in 2018 when then-president Donald Trump withdrew US support. Washington subsequently reimposed financial measures, prompting Iran to breach the limits set on its nuclear activity. Efforts to revive the deal have been under way in Vienna since last April, with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian saying his country remains “very serious” about the negotiations. Tehran is “ready to achieve a good deal at the earliest possible time if the other side makes the needed political decision,” he said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the talks had reached “the moment of truth”. "We now have the chance to reach an agreement that will allow sanctions to be lifted. But if we do not succeed very quickly, the negotiations risk failing," he said in Munich on Saturday. Israel, which is not a party to the talks, has called for a tougher agreement which goes beyond 2025. The country regards Iran’s nuclear programme as an existential threat, and Tehran has repeatedly accused Israel of sabotaging its facilities. Mr Bennett said his government was preparing for “the day after” a new accord is reached. “In all dimensions, so that we can maintain the security of the citizens of Israel by ourselves,” he said. <i>Agencies contributed to this report</i>