Netanyahu: I will discuss two important topics with European leaders; 'Iran and Iran'

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, arrived in Berlin, the capital of Germany, on Monday, June 14, to begin a four-day European trip focused on discussions with leaders of three European powers regarding Iran. According to Israeli media, Mr. Netanyahu described his negotiations with the leaders of Germany, France, and Britain as 'important' and stated that he would raise two topics in his meetings with European leaders: 'Iran and Iran.' The Israeli Prime Minister said, 'It is necessary to continue pressure on Iran regarding its nuclear program, and I think this pressure should be intensified. Even if there is no complete agreement on this issue, over time, a necessary understanding can be reached.' Last month, Israel expressed appreciation for the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and called for Europe to follow the U.S. policy and impose 'crippling' sanctions on Iran. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, and Theresa May, the Prime Minister of Britain, with whom Mr. Netanyahu will have separate meetings during this week's trip, have emphasized that maintaining the JCPOA is essential. The leaders of the three European powers have also stated that the importance of preserving the JCPOA lies in being able to draw Iran into negotiations over its regional policies, including its ballistic missile program and regional influence, particularly in Syria, which is of great sensitivity to Israel—two demands that Iran has strongly rejected. Iran has also rejected renewed negotiations over the JCPOA, and one day before Benjamin Netanyahu's arrival in Europe, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a letter to his counterparts around the world, including those involved in the JCPOA, called for intensified efforts to preserve this agreement. However, the Israeli Prime Minister stated early on Monday before leaving Tel Aviv for Europe that 'Iran's aggression in the region, especially its efforts to establish a military presence in Syria aimed at attacking Israel from Syria, must be contained, and I hope we can reach a policy that is agreed upon by all of us.' Recently, Israel has emphasized that it will not 'tolerate' the presence of Iranian forces and their Shiite allies anywhere in Syria and has explicitly stated that it will attack these forces and their objectives anywhere in Syria. Israel has adopted an active policy to expel Iran and other Iranian-backed Shiite militias from Syria, including extensive contacts with Russian leaders in recent days, while also conducting multiple military attacks on Iranian targets and their affiliates in Syria. On Monday, the Israeli Prime Minister also stated that he has 'very close and good relations' with the leaders of the three European countries he is visiting, which 'is important for Israel,' and reminded that during his trip to France, the 70th anniversary of friendly relations between the two countries, which has been ongoing since the establishment of Israel, will be commemorated in a ceremony. Mr. Netanyahu is making his way to London for discussions with Theresa May for the umpteenth time in the past year, coinciding with a celebration in the British capital on Sunday evening marking the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment. The Trafalgar Square celebration was attended by Israeli officials and artists, along with Jews and supporters of Israel. Nevertheless, Palestinians and their supporters have organized protests against Mr. Netanyahu's visit, as they have in the past, including demonstrations in Paris. The Times has reported that it has seen 'a confidential Iranian document on nuclear bomb production.' Ahead of the Israeli Prime Minister's trip to Europe, the Times and Express newspapers in Britain reported on Sunday that Israel has provided documents regarding Iran's nuclear program, which it recently 'acquired,' to London and several other European governments. Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled 'over half a ton of documents' related to Iran's nuclear program at a press conference at the Israeli Ministry of Defense a few weeks ago, stating that Iran's main goal, contrary to 'all the lies of Tehran's leaders over two decades,' was to produce a nuclear bomb and that the JCPOA was based on 'Iran's lies.' The Israeli Prime Minister unveiled over 100,000 documents 'acquired by Israel' just days before U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. Israeli media emphasized that Israel coordinated with the U.S. to ensure that Mr. Trump's decision to withdraw from the JCPOA had a stronger backing, revealing the Mossad's action in obtaining Iran's nuclear archive. Now, according to the Times, a reporter from the newspaper has seen part of these documents, which include a letter assigning the responsibility for nuclear bomb production to the Iranian Ministry of Defense. Iran remained silent in response to this Mossad action but continues to claim that its nuclear program has always had peaceful objectives and that 'Israel has a history of lying' and 'Iranophobia.' IRNA, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, described Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Europe on Monday as the Israeli Prime Minister's 'anti-Iran tour' and stated that 'it is still too early to judge the fate of Netanyahu's efforts in Europe.' The report emphasizes that 'a significant part of the fate of these efforts depends on the seriousness of the Europeans in preserving the JCPOA.' According to IRNA, 'Europeans are now at a major crossroads; they can either maintain their position and make every effort to preserve the JCPOA and provide necessary guarantees to Iran, or succumb to the pressures of the U.S. and the Zionist regime (Israel) and play in a field they have designed.' Despite the European leaders' interest in preserving the JCPOA, dozens of small and large European companies have severed ties with Iran in the weeks following the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and even before the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions against Iran, leaving their previously signed agreements with Iran stagnant to protect their interests in relation to the U.S. and to avoid potential heavy penalties from the U.S.