Israel PM warns new US administration against rejoining nuke deal with Iran

Israel: On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised US President Donald Trump’s administration for Middle East policies, as the US leader faced widespread criticism at home after hundreds of his supporters stormed the Capitol building a day earlier.

“I want to thank President Trump and all the people in the administration for what you have done and are doing for peace. You have made a real difference by bringing the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan into peace, one success after another. I do not doubt that more Arab and Muslim countries will follow, ”Netanyahu said.

In recent months, the Trump administration has brokered normalization agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. Sudan, which recently saw regime changes in favor of a government aligned with the US, has also agreed to normalize Israel relations. However, no agreement has been signed between the two countries.

The Prime Minister made his remarks with US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who stayed in Israel on Wednesday and Thursday after he visited Sudan, where officials agreed to step up their efforts to normalize relations with Israel. Before leaving for Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi. Arab and United Arab Emirates for meetings.

Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to the United States involving the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan. US President-Elect Joe Biden indicated if Iran complied with the agreement plans to do so.

Trump withdrew the US from the pact in 2018 – at Netanyahu’s insistence – by re-enforcing economic sanctions on Iran and allowing Tehran to enrich more uranium and begin violating the terms of the agreement at greater levels. This week, Iran announced that it would start enriching uranium by 20 percent, just a small technical step from the 90% needed for the atomic bomb.

Biden has said that if Iran returns to the terms of the agreement, it will also remove the economic sanctions that have wreaked havoc on the Iranian economy over the past two years.

JCPOA’s staunch and outspoken opponent Netanyahu warned that a return to the pact would promote nuclear proliferation in the region. The claim was based on the criticism that the nuclear deal gives legitimacy to Iran’s nuclear program, allowing parts of it to operate independently after a particular time. However, technically, under the agreement, the Tehran nuclear Never agrees to carry weapons.

“If we just go back to the JCPOA, what will happen and what is already happening is that many other countries in the Middle East will equip themselves with nuclear weapons. It’s a nightmare and it’s silly. It should not happen, ”Netanyahu said.

The chief thanked Mnuchin for his role in imposing economic sanctions on Iran and said the strategy – known as “maximum pressure” – to continue it.

“I want to commend the full pressure campaign on Iran. Under your leadership, the US Treasury has played an important role in implementing and enforcing sanctions on the Iranian regime, ”Netanyahu said.

“Iran should stop continuing its campaign of aggression and terror throughout the region and prevent Iran from going into the nuclear arsenal,” he said.

During his remarks, Netanyahu also condemned the attack on the US Capitol building in Washington DC by a crowd of Trump loyalists who sought to disrupt Biden’s certificate of victory in the November election.

The Prime Minister called the attack “outrageous” and said it is “contrary to the values ​​we Americans and the people of Israel know.”

Mnuchin also condemned the Capitol Building attack and indicated that he would not resign from his position in the light of the attack on the Capitol, which both Republican and Democratic lawmakers blamed for inciting by the President Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger did. Wednesday.

The violence at the Capitol in Washington, DC, last night was utterly unacceptable. Now is the time for our country to come together as one and honor the democratic process in America, ”said the Treasury Secretary.

He said, “We look forward to coming back to Washington, DC, with our continued work about the transition. ”

Mnuchin’s office said that during his visit to Israel, he met with Netanyahu and Finance Minister Israel Katz to discuss the economic opportunities offered by Israel’s improved relations with Abraham and the Persian Gulf.

His spokesman said the trio also “talked about national security issues, including cooperative efforts to combat terrorist financing.”