Israel's Fight against Iran Gets Animated

Israel has fired the latest shot in its campaign against the impending deal on Iran's nuclear program, with an animated video comparing the Islamic republic to the Islamic State group.

"The Islamic state of Iran -- like ISIS. Just much bigger," is the title and punchline of the cartoon clip posted on Tuesday on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's official Twitter account.

The 27-second video was released hours before the original June 30 deadline for the accord between Iran and the so-called P5+1 powers -- the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia plus Germany, which was ultimately extended to July 7.

It shows a jeep with a black IS flag carrying three members dressed in black and waving assault rifles while running over a line of orange jumpsuit-clad prisoners representing the U.S., Christians, gay rights, and Israel.

"Islamic State sweeps through the Middle East, killing anyone who isn't exactly like them," a narrator says in U.S.-accented English.

"Imagine how dangerous Islamic State would be if they had armoured divisions, fighter jets and ballistic missiles," he continues, as the jeep morphs into heavy military hardware, with nuclear reactors appearing in the background.

"Imagine Islamic State building atomic bombs," says the narrator, as the black IS flags become Iranian and the Islamic State members become Iranian soldiers led by a bearded mullah. 

"Well, maybe it's not that hard to imagine," he says, over an image of the cleric holding missiles while hugging a nuclear reactor.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the deal being forged with world powers could leave Iran with the ability to develop nuclear weapons, and he has not ruled out the use of military force to prevent it. 

Iran denies its nuclear program has military aims. 

The Israeli premier has been using IS to as a symbol of what he sees as the Iranian threat, citing on Tuesday a U.S. state department report which "confirmed (Iran) as a preeminent state sponsor of terrorism."

"Why would anyone consider giving the Islamic state of Iran, which is a lot more powerful than ISIS, and acts with much greater power than ISIS, to have the additional power of nuclear weapons?" he asked, using an alternative acronym for IS.

Israel is believed to be the only country in its region with atomic bombs, although it has never confirmed its nuclear military capacity.