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 by Staff Writers Jerusalem (AFP) May 9, 2018
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed to Moscow on Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, hours after US President Donald Trump announced he would pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. Netanyahu and Putin have held a series of meetings and phone conversations in recent months, mainly over Syria and the involvement there of Israel's arch-rival Iran. "The meetings between us are always important and this one is especially so," Netanyahu said before departing. "In light of what is currently happening in Syria, it is necessary to ensure the continued coordination between the Russian military and (that of Israel)." Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply disappointed" by Trump's announcement on Tuesday that the United States would pull out of the Iran deal, while Netanyahu strongly supported the US president's "bold" move. Netanyahu has long opposed the nuclear deal between world powers and Tehran. Separately, Israel is deeply concerned over Iran's presence in Syria, where Tehran, like Moscow, backs President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Russia and Israel have set up a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in Syria. Netanyahu has vowed not to allow Iran to entrench itself militarily in neighbouring Syria, where Israel has been repeatedly accused of carrying out deadly strikes, with reports of Iranian forces killed. Israel has not acknowledged those strikes, but admits carrying out dozens of raids in Syria to stop what it says are deliveries of advanced arms to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, another of its enemies. There have been fears in Israel of Iranian retaliation. Just prior to Trump's speech on Tuesday, the Israeli army asked authorities in the occupied Golan Heights to open and prepare missile shelters due to "irregular activity by Iranian forces" over the demarcation line in Syria.
Netanyahu praises Trump's 'bold' withdrawal from Iran deal Israel's army meanwhile asked authorities in the occupied Golan Heights to open and prepare missile shelters due to "irregular activity by Iranian forces" over the demarcation line in Syria. "Israel fully supports President Trump's bold decision today to reject the disastrous nuclear deal with the terrorist regime in Tehran," Netanyahu said in a televised address, referring to the multinational accord with his country's main enemy. Netanyahu, speaking shortly after Trump's announcement, said leaving the current deal in place was "a recipe for disaster, a disaster for our region, a disaster for the peace of the world". "This is why Israel thinks that President Trump did an historic move." Netanyahu on April 30 unveiled tens of thousands of intelligence documents in another televised address that he said showed Iran's secret nuclear weapons ambitions. Trump referred to the intelligence trove in his speech announcing the withdrawal. Proponents of the nuclear deal argued the trove of documents Israel says it obtained from Tehran shed little new light on Iran's nuclear programme and, in fact, made the case for why the accord is important. Netanyahu argues the documents show the deal was built on a lie -- Iran denied having pursued nuclear weapons -- and demonstrate that Tehran has a secret atomic weapons programme ready to activate at any time. Trump and his allies in the Middle East, particularly Israel, argue the agreement was too weak and needed to be replaced with a more permanent arrangement, supplemented by controls on Iran's missile programme. They also say the lifting of sanctions against Iran under the deal had increased its ability to finance proxy militants and other forms of aggression. Netanyahu defied then president Barack Obama in 2015 when he appeared before the US Congress to denounce the deal that was still being negotiated. Israel is believed to be the Middle East's sole nuclear-armed power, but it has never acknowledged the capability. - 'Unlock and ready shelters' - Shortly before Trump's announcement, Israel's military issued the notice regarding Iranian forces in Syria. "Following the identification of irregular activity of Iranian forces in Syria, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) has decided to change the civilian protection instructions in the Golan Heights and instructs local authorities to unlock and ready shelters in the area," the army said in a statement. "Additionally, defence systems have been deployed and IDF troops are on high alert for an attack." Israeli media also reported that military reservists for the air force, intelligence and civil defence had been recalled. The military confirmed only a partial recall of reservists. Israel has pledged not to allow Iran to entrench itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran is backing President Bashar al-Assad's regime. It has been accused of carrying out deadly strikes on bases in Syria out of which Iranian forces operate, raising fears in Israel that Iran could seek to retaliate. Netanyahu is due to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday. Russia is also backing Assad in the Syrian civil war, but has established a hotline with Israel to avoid accidental clashes in the country. Netanyahu and Putin have met and spoken by phone numerous times in recent months. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community. The two countries remain technically at war.
Anger, dismay, support: how the world sees US withdrawal from Iran deal The following is a selection of reactions from around the globe to Trump's biggest foreign policy move since taking office: - 'Psychological warfare' - "This decision was an act of psychological warfare against Iran." -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani - Uranium enrichment to resume? - "I have instructed the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization to take the necessary measures for future actions so that, if necessary, we can resume industrial enrichment without limit." -- Rouhani - Stay the course - "Stay true to your commitments as we will stay true to ours and together with the rest of the international community, we will preserve this nuclear deal." -- European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini - 'Regret' - "France, Germany and the UK regret the US decision to leave the JCPOA. The nuclear non-proliferation regime is at stake. We will work collectively on a broader framework, covering nuclear activity, the post-2025 period, ballistic activity and stability in the Middle East, notably Syria, Yemen and Iraq." -- French President Emmanuel Macron, on Twitter, referring to the Iran deal by its formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - 'Disappointed' - Moscow is "deeply disappointed by the decision of US President Donald Trump to unilaterally refuse to carry out commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action." -- Russia's foreign ministry - 'Instability' - "The unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear deal is a decision that will cause instability and new conflicts." -- Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Twitter - Breaking commitment - Damascus "strongly condemns the US president's decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran, which shows once again that the United States is not honoring its commitments and international agreements." -- Syrian foreign ministry source quoted by the official SANA news agency. - Compliance - "I call on other JCPOA participants to abide fully by their respective commitments under the JCPOA and on all other member-states to support this agreement." -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres - 'Bold decision' - "Israel fully supports President Trump's bold decision today to reject the disastrous nuclear deal with the terrorist regime in Tehran." -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - Support from Saudi - "The kingdom supports and welcomes the steps announced by the US president toward withdrawing from the nuclear deal... and reinstating economic sanctions against Iran." -- Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry - 'Misguided' - "The reality is clear. The JCPOA is working... That is why today's announcement is so misguided... I believe that the decision to put the JCPOA at risk without any Iranian violation of the deal is a serious mistake." -- former US president Barack Obama, whose administration brokered the 2015 deal
Trump decision on Iran is 'psychological warfare': Rouhani Tehran (AFP) May 8, 2018 US President Donald Trump's decision on Tuesday to pull out of the nuclear deal is an act of "psychological warfare" against Iran, President Hassan Rouhani said. Speaking on state television, Rouhani said he wished to discuss Trump's decision with the European, Russian and Chinese parties to the 2015 deal. The Iranian president appeared on the state broadcaster just minutes after Trump announced the historic decision to withdraw the United States from the agreement. Rouhani has stated in rec ... read more
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