Israel says Iran nuclear deal would be 'historic mistake'
The talks in Geneva are scheduled to last two days
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a nuclear deal being hammered out between Iran and world powers in Geneva would be a "historic" mistake.
He warned against easing sanctions on Iran in return for concessions "that are not concessions at all".
Both sides in Geneva expressed cautious optimism as talks got under way.
The West suspects Iran's uranium enrichment programme is a step towards building nuclear weapons.
Tehran says its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful ends.
The five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany (P5+1) are expected to demand that Iran immediately stop development of its nuclear programme, in exchange for a limited lifting of sanctions.
But Mr Netanyahu told a conference in Jerusalem that the proposals would allow Iran to retain the capabilities to make nuclear weapons.
"Israel understands that there are proposals on the table in Geneva today that would ease the pressure on Iran for concessions that are not concessions at all. This proposal would allow Iran to retain the capabilities to make nuclear weapons," he said.
"Israel totally opposes these proposals. I believe that adopting them would be a mistake of historic proportions. They must be rejected outright."
Hopes of a long-awaited deal on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions have been given fresh momentum by the election of new President Hassan Rouhani, seen as a relative moderate.
But Mr Netanyahu said crippling economic sanctions must not be eased before Iran's nuclear military abilities were abolished.
"The sanctions regime has brought the Iranian economy to the edge of the abyss, and the P5+1 can compel Iran to fully dismantle its nuclear weapons programme," he said.
"Anything else will make a peaceful solution less likely. Israel always reserves the right to defend itself, by itself, against any threat."
In comments broadcast on Iranian TV on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the nuclear issue was "not insoluble", adding it was his government's policy to "refrain from seeking nuclear weapons".
Ahead of the talks, he met EU foreign policy envoy Baroness Ashton for a working breakfast.
Her spokesman described it as a good meeting, while Reuters quoted Mr Zarif as saying an agreement was within reach.
Following exploratory talks last month, international negotiators said they were considering an Iranian proposal. No details have been released.
Ahead of the meetings, a senior US administration official told reporters that Washington wanted Tehran to agree on a "first step" to stop advancing its programme further.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the US was hoping for "an initial understanding that stops Iran's nuclear programme from moving forward and rolls it back for the first time in decades".
Since 2006 the UN Security Council has imposed a series of sanctions - including asset freezes and travel bans - on entities and people involved in Iran's nuclear programme.
Separate US and EU sanctions have targeted Iran's energy and banking sectors, crippling its oil-based economy. Iran wants the sanctions lifted.
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