Netanyahu: International Companies Must Choose Between Trade with the U.S. or Iran

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stated on Thursday, June 7, in London that with the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran and the re-imposition of sanctions, the lifespan of this agreement is effectively coming to an end. According to AFP, Mr. Netanyahu, speaking at the 'Policy Exchange' institute in London, remarked that the immense weight of the U.S. economy is dismantling this 'bad deal.' The Israeli Prime Minister further stated that the U.S. threat to impose sanctions on companies cooperating with Iran has been effective, and now foreign companies are withdrawing from Iran. Donald Trump, the U.S. President, announced the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran on May 8, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic continued to expand its ballistic missile program and 'support for terrorism' in the region after the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA. The U.S. President also announced that in addition to reinstating suspended sanctions against Iran, new penalties would be imposed on Tehran. Following the U.S. exit from the JCPOA, several major European companies have announced they are ending their operations in Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu also stated: If you are a European company, an Asian company, or another company, you must choose between trading with Iran or the U.S.; you must choose between the economy of a country that is three percent of the U.S. economy or an economy that has a $21 trillion GDP; this is not a difficult decision. The Israeli Prime Minister met with Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the UK, on Wednesday. After this meeting, Ms. May stated that the British government considers adherence to the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement with Iran, as essential for maintaining regional security and stability, and as long as Iran remains committed to it, the UK will support it. Mr. Netanyahu also met with officials from France and Germany during the past week. Warning to Bashar al-Assad about Iranian presence in Syria. The Israeli Prime Minister, in another part of his speech, stated that his goal in meeting with European officials was to discuss ending the presence of Iranian forces in Syria. Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will not tolerate Iranian military action against itself from Syrian territory. The Prime Minister stated: The consequences will not only be for Iranian forces but also the Assad regime will be targeted. This is something that (Bashar al-Assad) must take seriously. In this context, a senior Israeli official told the media in the country that the leaders of the three European powers that the Israeli Prime Minister met with this week 'agreed that the military presence of Iran in Syria must be completely ended.' In the Syrian civil war, Iran, along with its allied Shiite groups and Russia, supports Bashar al-Assad's government against rebels and jihadist groups. Israel has repeatedly bombed positions of groups allied with Bashar al-Assad and has stated that it will not tolerate Iran's presence in Syria. The Islamic Republic of Iran considers its support for proxy groups in Syria and the region as support for the 'resistance axis,' but Western powers describe these activities as a threat to their allies and regional stability.