Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday expressed doubt over the value of an agreement reached between IAEA and Iran.

"It seems the Iranians are trying to make a technical agreement that will create the illusion of progress in talks," Barak reportedly told Defense Ministry officials. "They want to reduce some of the pressure ahead of tomorrow’s talks in Baghdad."

"They want to get rid of sanctions," Barak added.

Iran has previously said its goal in talks with the P5+1 is the removal of crippling Western sanctions that have deeply impacted the Islamic Republic´s economy.

Over the weekend, the G8 affirmed there would be no easing of sanctions until Iran signed an agreement the world powers deemed suitable concerning its controversial nuclear program.

The P5+1 - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - has indicated it expects Iran to stop enriching uranium to 20 percent, ship all uranium enriched to 20 percent outside of the country, and to shut down its nearly impenetrable Fordow enrichment facility.

It also expects Iran to allow the IAEA full access to all of its nuclear facilities in accordance with Tehran´s obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Barak said, "Israel thinks Iran should be held to a strict standard, one that leaves no window or crack, and halts Iran´s bid for nuclear arms. They must stop enrichment to 20 percent, and to 3.5 percent. In addition, they must remove all enriched material outside Iran, and work under a tight protocol called 3.1 of the IAEA ".

"If Iran retains a token amount of several hundred kilograms of uranium enriched at 3.5 percent, it should be closely monitored. It must be certain, at any given moment, that Iran does not have sufficient uranium to pursue nuclear weapons," he said.

Barak’s statement that Iran must halt all uranium enrichment appeared to be intended to repudiate reports that Israel might back the P5+1 plan, which would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium to 3.5 percent.

"We must not make any concessions to Iran," Barak said, echoing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu´s tough line on Iran. "The world powers conditions must be clear and unequivocal." (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 05/22/12)