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Netanyahu embraces Trump’s decision on Iran nuclear deal

Netanyahu, who repeatedly warned that the Iran nuclear agreement was a “very bad deal,” congratulated Trump on his decision to decertify it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated U.S. President Trump for his decision not to re-certify the Iran nuclear deal.

In a statement released Friday, Netanyahu praised what he called a “courageous decision.” He says Trump has created an opportunity to “fix this bad deal” and to roll back Iran’s aggression. He encouraged all other relevant nations to do the same.

“As President of the United States, my highest obligation is to ensure the safety and security of the American people,” Trump said in his announcement Friday on the steps the US is taking to prevent the Islamic Republic from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon. He slammed the Obama administration for removing sanctions just as Iran was collapsing under economic pressure.

Trump announced his strategy to counter Iran, including additional sanctions, address proliferation of weapons and missiles, deny all paths to a nuclear weapons and the imposing of tough sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, “the Iranian Supreme leader’s corrupt personal terror force and militia.”

Netanyahu has been a fierce critic of the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for concessions regarding its nuclear program.

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In a video posted on his Facebook page Saturday night, Netanyahu showed clips of Knesset opposition party leaders criticizing his speeches at the UN in the past in which he had called the nuclear agreement a “very bad deal” and saying he was hurting US-Israel relations.

“The [Iranian] regime’s two favorite chants are “Death to America’ and “Death to Israel,” and the U.S. will not make this certification,” Trump stated.

Congress had already begun the work to fix serious flaws in the deal, he said, adding that if they “cannot reach a solution working with Congress and their allies, the agreement will be terminated,” he warned.

By: World Israel News Staff
AP contributed to this report.