Netanyahu pledges Israeli vigilance that Iran isn’t violating commitments

16 January 2016, 10:38 pm
From left to right: European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and US Secretary of State John Kerry pose for a group picture at the United Nations building in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, July 14, 2015. After 18 days of intense and often fractious negotiation, diplomats Tuesday declared that world powers and Iran had struck a landmark deal to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in relief from international sanctions, an agreement designed to avert the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran and another U.S. military intervention in the Muslim world. (Joe Klamar/Pool Photo via AP)
From left to right: European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and US Secretary of State John Kerry

Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that Israel will remain vigilant to ensure that Iran is not violating its commitments.

The Israel prime minister’s pledge came as Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said a landmark nuclear deal has satisfied all parties – “except extremists”.

Netanyahu maintained his strong opposition to the deal, which saw sanctions finally lifted this week. He told his weekly Cabinet meeting: “The Israel policy remains as it was – not to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

Netanyahu drew the ire of the Obama administration last year by speaking in front of the US Congress in an attempt to prevent the agreement. On Sunday, he repeated his contention that the deal will strengthen and embolden Tehran, leading to greater regional instability.

“What is clear is that Iran will now have more resources to dedicate to their terrorism and aggression in the region and in the world, and Israel is prepared to deal with any threat,” he said.

Rouhani said Iran should use the expected influx of money and investments following the end of sanctions to spark the “economic mutation” of the country, creating jobs and enhancing quality-of-life for Iranian citizens. Iran has been suffering double-digit inflation and unemployment rates for years.

He also said Iran now needs political tranquillity to best benefit from the new economic reality. “All should prevent any domestic and foreign trivialities that thwart us,” he said.

“Any irrelevant and diverting dispute is against national expedience.”

Rouhani said his country needs up to 50 billion dollars (£35 billion) in foreign investment per year to reach its goal of 8% annual growth.

More than 30 billion dollars (£21 billion) in assets overseas will become immediately available to the Islamic Republic. Official Iranian reports have set the total amount of frozen Iranian assets overseas at 100 billion dollars (£70 billion).

A European oil embargo on Iran will also end. Already, some 38 million barrels of oil are in Iran’s floating reserves, ready to enter the market, according to the International Energy Agency.

Although many in Iran welcomed the deal, not everyone was enthused about the agreement, which limits Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

The deal is designed with so-called “snap-back” elements that can quickly restore sanctions if Iran is judged to be in violation of its obligations.

Tehran newspapers largely welcomed the implementation of the deal. Even the hard-line Kayhan daily remained impartial and said that for the west, “it is the time of implementation of promises”.

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