US and Israel determined to fight ‘terrible’ and ‘wretched’ deal with Iran

Meeting with Bolton in Jerusalem, Netanyahu once again thanked Trump for “walking away from the terrible deal with Iran.” 

By: World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday met with US National Security Adviser John Bolton at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem with Iran’s nuclear program in focus.

National Security Council Director Meir Ben-Shabbat, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer participated in the discussion.

Ahead of the meeting, Netanyahu extolled Israel’s “wonderful alliance” with the US, as Israel “believes that it has no greater friend and ally than the United States, and I believe that the United States has no greater friend and ally than Israel.”

While Israel insists on “defending ourselves by ourselves,” the prime minister said, it appreciates “all manner of American support, but we believe that the alliance is the alliance of the strong and like-minded and we share America’s values of freedom and liberty.”

Netanyahu noted that under President Donald Trump, this “alliance has grown stronger than it’s ever been, and your visit here gives us an opportunity to make it even stronger and to align our policies even more closely on Iran, on Syria, on Gaza and on the many challenges that face both our countries in this region.”

He once again thanked Trump for “walking away from the terrible deal with Iran. The nuclear deal did not block Iran’s path to the bomb – it paved Iran’s path to an entire nuclear arsenal. And by removing the sanctions, it enabled Iran to bring in billions and billions of dollars to its coffers, which only fueled Iran’s war machine – in Syria, in Lebanon, in Yemen, and elsewhere.”

Netanyahu said he believes that Trump’s decision to “leave the disastrous Iran deal was nothing less than a hinge of history. And Israel applauds the Trump administration’s determination to re-impose tough sanctions on Iran and those doing business with Iran.”

The first set of US sanctions against Iran that were eased under the controversial nuclear accord went back into effect earlier this month under an executive order signed by Trump, targeting financial transactions that involve US dollars, Iran’s automotive sector, and the purchase of commercial planes and metals, including gold.

US sanctions targeting Iran’s oil sector and central bank are to be reimposed in early November.

“I know that that view is shared by all our Arab neighbors, or practically everyone in this region. And I frankly believe that all countries who care about peace and security in the Middle East should follow America’s lead and ratchet up the pressure on Iran. Because the greater the pressure on Iran, the greater the chance that the regime will roll back its aggression. And everybody should join this effort,” Netanyahu underscored.

Bolton criticized the “wretched” Iranian nuclear deal, saying that the US sees the “highest importance” in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. That was why Trump withdrew from the deal negotiated by the Obama administration and reapplied stiff sanctions, he explained.

Bolton has been a strident critic of the nuclear deal and has pushed for greater pressure on Tehran to ensure it halts its support for terror groups in the Mideast and stops development of ballistic missiles.

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