Benjamin Netanyahu: Economic Pressures on Iran Are Bearing Fruit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that protests in Iran indicate that international economic pressures on the Islamic Republic are yielding results. Speaking at a military ceremony on Thursday, July 7, Netanyahu attributed the 'economic upheaval' and declining support for the Iranian government to the Trump administration's withdrawal from the JCPOA and the reimposition of U.S. sanctions. A staunch opponent of the JCPOA, he praised the return of sanctions, saying, 'The people of Iran feel the consequences of their leaders' hateful and radical behavior in their pockets. Contrary to what global analysts say, the renewed sanctions did not bring the people of Iran back into the arms of the regime; the exact opposite happened.' Netanyahu added, 'Many in Iran have realized that the Ayatollah regime invests extensive resources in military expansionist goals abroad instead of addressing the needs of the Iranian people.' Regarding the future of Iran's economy, he said, 'It is still too early to know how events will unfold, but their direction is clear: the money-printing machine for the regime's aggression has broken and toppled.' He has consistently accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons and has been vehemently opposed to lifting sanctions on Iran, often voicing his positions at the UN General Assembly and even in the U.S. Congress. Iran has denied any efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, asserting that its nuclear program is peaceful, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly confirmed its compliance with the JCPOA. During his recent trip to several European countries aimed at persuading EU nations to withdraw from the JCPOA, Netanyahu responded to the positions of EU leaders by stating that there is no longer a need to convince these countries, as he believes economic pressures will lead to the collapse of the JCPOA. Israel has also repeatedly expressed concern over Iran's presence in Syria and has reportedly targeted Iranian positions in that country with airstrikes multiple times. Netanyahu welcomed the widespread protests in over a hundred cities in Iran last December. His remarks on Thursday were in response to protests by merchants and shopkeepers against the currency market situation and economic instability. The Iranian currency market has been extremely turbulent in recent days, with the price of each dollar nearing 9,000 tomans for the first time. The dollar was priced at about 8,500 tomans on Thursday, and the price of gold coins exceeded three million tomans. In response to the current economic conditions, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for austerity measures and national consensus to overcome the crisis on Wednesday.