Netanyahu hints at understanding with US about deterring Iranian threat

A day after implementation of the Iran nuclear deal went into effect, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday Israel's policy toward Iran remains the same: it will not let the Islamic Republic obtain nuclear weapons, JPost reported.

Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that Israel will continue to closely monitor Iran's compliance with its international agreements regarding the nuclear deal, its ballistic missiles and involvement in terrorism. “The international community must take sharp and aggressive sanctions on every infraction,” he said.

“Israel's position was, and remains just as it was: not to allow Iran to get nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu stressed. He added that it is “clear” that Iran will now have more resources to turn to in its “terrorist and aggressive activities in the region and the world.” But, he added, “Israel is prepared to deal with every threat.”

Netanyahu noted that Israel is currently in the midst of concluding a new 10-year Memorandum of Understanding with the US which will govern the level of US military aid to Israel over the next decade. He hinted that this was part of the deterrence architecture being built to counter Iran, saying that the MoU is “important to rebuff the threats in the region, first and foremost – of course – from the Iranians.”

Under the current 10-year MoU, which expires next year, Israel received some $3 billion in annual military aid from the US, a figure now expected to rise.

Source: MENA