Israeli PM lauds new EU sanctions on Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday praised the European Union (EU)'s decision to impose new sanctions on Iran, noting that their efficiency will ultimately be measured by their ability to curb the Islamic Republic's nuclear ambitions. "I commend the EU for the tough sanctions adopted against the greatest threat to peace in our time," Netanyahu said at the start of a meeting with EU envoys in Jerusalem on Tuesday, according to a statement sent to Xinhua. The remarks came a day after the EU announced further economic sanctions targeting Iran's banking, industrial and shipping sectors -- measures aimed to press Tehran to enter serious negotiations on its nuclear program. In a statement, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton expressed hope that upping the pressure on Iran would yield results and that negotiations on the issue could soon resume. "These sanctions are hitting the Iranian economy hard," Netanyahu said, referring to sanctions in general, including measures already implemented by the United States against Iran's fuel exports, that had so far failed to convince Tehran to disband its nuclear program. "We will know that they are achieving their goal if the centrifuges stop spinning and the program is rolled back," Netanyahu said of the new EU sanctions. Israel, the United States and many Western countries believe that Iran's nuclear facilities are geared to produce nuclear weapons. Iran dismisses such accusations and charges that its nuclear program is solely intended for peaceful purposes. Local analysts speculated that the new measures announced by the EU are also an expression of its mounting concerns over a possible Israeli military action against Iran in the event that sanctions and diplomacy fail. But Tehran has stood firm against such sanctions or threats. On Tuesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said that the unilateral Western sanctions against Iran are "illegal," "illogical" and "inhumane." According to the Western states, their sanctions on Iran are conducted under the pretext of the nuclear issue of the Islamic republic, Mehmanparast said, adding that this is just an "excuse" to pressure Iran. Last week, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also downplayed the Western sanctions against the Islamic republic, saying that the Iranian nation will overcome problems as always.