Netanyahu hopes nuclear info sways Trump

Israeli prime minister’s ‘evidence’ gets cool reception in Europe

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest accusations about Iran’s past nuclear activities received a warm welcome in Washington but a far cooler reception in Europe on Tuesday — deepening divisions among Western allies ahead of U.S. president Donald Trump’s decision on whether to withdraw from the international nuclear deal later this month.

U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the U.S. would discuss Israel’s newest purported evidence with the other global powers that negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal. But Britain said the information reinforced the need to keep the deal in place.

The UN nuclear agency said it considered the matter of whether Iran previously pursued nuclear weapons to be “closed.”

Netanyahu has been an outspoken critic of the deal, which offered Iran relief from crippling international sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. Netanyahu says the deal will not prevent Iran, Israel’s most bitter enemy, from reaching a nuclear weapons capability.

After clashing with president Barack Obama when the deal was negotiated, Netanyahu has found a close ally in Trump, who has called the agreement “the worst deal ever.” Trump has signalled he will withdraw from the agreement by May 12 if it is not renegotiated and changed.

Netanyahu’s presentation Monday, delivered in English on live TV and making heavy use of visual aids, appeared to be aimed at swaying opinion ahead of Trump’s decision.

He unveiled what he said was a “half ton” of Iranian nuclear documents he said were illicitly seized by Israeli intelligence. Netanyahu said the documents provided evidence Iran attempted to develop a nuclear bomb in the previous decade, especially before 2003.

Although he gave no explicit evidence Iran has violated the 2015 deal, he said Iran clearly lied in the past and could not be trusted. Iran has denied pursuing nuclear arms.

Netanyahu said Israel obtained the documents in February and shared all of the information with the U.S.

Netanyahu said the trove of documents showed Iran is “trying to bamboozle the entire world” and expressed hope Trump would pull out of the deal.

The initial European reaction, however, was cool.

Britain’s foreign minister, Boris Johnson, said Netanyahu’s presentation “underlines the importance” of keeping the deal, with its tough constraints on Iran, in place.

The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly certified that Iran is in compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.