Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in London
Photo: Getty Images
Netanyahu: Trump will be clear-eyed in any Iran talks
PM says he cannot tell the American president who he can or cannot meet with, but that the two are in agreement on the issue of the Iranian nuclear deal
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters in London on Thursday that he was confident President Donald Trump will be clear-eyed and responsible if and when he meets with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.
When asked about Rouhani's announcement that his country would improve centrifuges to speed uranium enrichment, Netanyahu called it a provocation for which they should be punished and that he "will not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in London with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Photo: AFP)
Netanyahu criticized French President Emanuel Macron for inviting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to Biarritz during the G7 summit at a time when Iran was planning simultaneous attacks against Israel.
"I thought it was inappropriate behavior and I told him (Macron) as much" he said.
Netanyahu told journalists covering his visit to the British capital that he could not tell the president of the United States who he can or cannot meet, nor can he tell the press if and when such a meeting will take place.
He said, however, that Trump's attitude towards the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal was founded on facts and that he and the president were in agreement from the start on the issue, because Iran would soon be able to enrich as much uranium as it pleased.
President Donald Trump at G7 Summit in Biarritz (Photo: MCT)
"This is the time for more pressure on Iran," Netanyahu said. "If negotiations are to take place, the (Iran deal) must be changed to prevent the Iranians from reaching nuclear capability quickly."
He said the Islamic Republic's missile development must also be stopped along with their sponsorship of terror organizations.
"I am here for discussions focused on increasing pressure on Iran and preventing their entrenchment in Syria," the prime minister said.
"This requires coordination with both the United States and Russia, and I plan to speak with (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin as well," he said.
