Israel seeks new US bans on Iran
Hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to persuade US President Donald Trump to impose tough new sanctions on Iran for allegedly threatening Israel with ballistic missiles and bankrolling terrorism, a close adviser said.
The restrictions would aim to inflict damage in the same way that blocking money transfers did before Iran signed the 2015 nuclear agreement, said Michael Oren, a deputy cabinet minister to Netanyahu. The Israeli premier was among the most outspoken opponents of the deal and relishes the prospect of renewed confrontation if Iran violates its terms, he said. Trump is flying to Israel on May 22 from Saudi Arabia, which is also pushing the president to get tough on Iran, Bloomberg reported.
Trump has described the nuclear deal as a “disaster” and this week imposed new sanctions on Iran over its missile program. Since the nuclear deal was agreed in July 2015, Iran has tested ballistic missiles, arguing that conventional weapons are not covered by the pact.
Iran also supports groups that put up resistance against Israel, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. The idea is to “link Iranian behavior to the deal” and apply sanctions that would keep Iran from doing business with the outside world, Oren said.
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