Netanyahu urges US to avoid returning to Iran nuclear deal

After Biden put the Iran nuclear deal back on the table, Netanyahu warned the US to stick to its stance taken by Trump.

2 min read

23 November, 2020

Netanyahu ally Trump pulled out of the Iran deal in 2018. [Getty]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday there should be "no return" to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which Washington withdrew from under President Donald Trump's administration.

In a speech in southern Israel, quoted by Reuters, Netanyahu urged the US to stick to its "uncompromising policy" on Iran.

"There must be no return to the previous nuclear agreement. We must stick to an uncompromising policy to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said.

Since Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018, his administration has rolled out sanctions on Iran as part of its "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran.

Netanyahu's comments came as an apparent message to US President-elect Joe Biden, who is set to take office on 20 January.

Biden said he would rejoin the deal if Tehran "resumes compliance".

The agreement sought to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons in return for economic sanctions being eased.

Read also: Trump planning 'flood of new sanctions' on Iran before leaving office: report