Israeli Intelligence Minister and Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz has long been insisting that Iran’s efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal were some sort of trick, but today conceded that Iran really does want a deal.

“I think they are serious, they want an agreement,” Steinitz admitted in an interview today with al-Monitor, followed up with calls for the P5+1 to use Iran’s willingness to deal to impose extremely harsh terms on them.

Steinitz said the P5+1 should tell Iran that the time for negotiation is “over” and that they will have to either except the Israeli-dictated terms of full abandonment of their program or face the total destruction of their economy.

Though progress is continuing with the talks between Iran and the P5+1, a deal is still a long way away, and Israeli officials seem determined to tack on new conditions to talks they aren’t even involved in, with an eye on keeping any deal form being reached.