Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday blasted the preliminary nuclear deal struck between Iran, the U.S. and other countries last week, saying the agreement not only endangers Israel but also will enable Iran to build a “terror machine” capable of conquering the Middle East.
Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Mr. Netanyahu — who has been the chief critic of the agreement — said lifting economic sanctions on Iran will lead to disaster in the region.
“I think this is a bad deal. It leaves Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure. It lifts the sanctions on them fairly quickly and enables them to get billions of dollars into their coffers. They’re not going to use it for schools or hospitals or roads,” he said. “They’re going to use it to pump up their terror machine worldwide and their military machine that is busy conquering the Middle East now.”
In exchange for some sanctions relief, the agreement calls for Iran to limit its uranium enrichment, reduce the number of its operating centrifuges and take other steps designed to slow the pace at which Tehran could build a nuclear weapon.
Much like Mr. Netanyahu, some U.S. lawmakers fear that sanctions relief will immediately lead to economic prosperity in Iran.
“Their economy is going to flourish,” Sen. Bob Corker, Tennessee Republican and chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Mr. Netanyahu said the deal is lacking in that it does not require Iran to stop sponsoring terrorism in the region and does not call on Tehran to stop its frequent verbal threats against Israel.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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