Tel Aviv, November 11 (RHC)-- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the West against striking a deal with Iran on the Islamic Republic's nuclear energy program. Netanyahu claimed on Monday that a "hasty" nuclear agreement between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Russia, China, France, Britain and the US -- plus Germany would allow Tehran "to rush to the bomb."

"There are reports that the P5+1 countries are close to a deal with Iran on Iran's nuclear program," Netanyahu said, adding: "I call on the P5+1 countries -- don't rush into a deal that would let Iran rush to the bomb." And the Israeli prime minister said: "Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear threshold power."

Israel as the sole-possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, with 200-400 nuclear warheads in its arsenals, refuses to either allow inspections of its nuclear facilities or join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iran is a signatory to the NPT, and its nuclear activities are under surveillance by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Furthermore, numerous inspections by the IAEA have never found any evidence supporting the allegation that its nuclear activities have non-civilian purposes.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and Catherine Ashton, the EU's envoy, wrapped up two days of high-level talks in the Omani capital Muscat about disagreements hindering a comprehensive deal on Tehran's nuclear energy program.