Netanyahu: Iran cheated

Tens of thousands of secret files and other evidence proves the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is “based on lies and Iranian deception” and should be discarded, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.

Netanyahu, in an address televised across Israel, said Iran lied when it said it never sought to develop nuclear weapons, then cheated by failing to reveal all its weapons program information to an international watchdog group charged with monitoring the deal.

President Donald Trump has said he will announce within the next two weeks the fate of the deal. He has blasted the pact repeatedly, demanding that changes be made to tighten rules governing Iran.

Trump, speaking at a White House news conference minutes after Netanyahu spoke, expressed solidarity with the Israeli leader. He also would not dismiss the possibility of negotiating a new deal — an option Iran has flatly rejected.

The deal, struck between Iran and six world powers – the U.S, Britain, Russia, France, China and Germany – was negotiated by the Obama administration. The deal led to easing of a broad range of economic sanctions placed on the Shiite nation.

Netanyahu, who bitterly opposed the deal, spoke in English, a clear sign he wanted to present his case to an international audience. He said “half a ton” of evidence proves Iran has not been faithful. He said the deal provides Iran with a clear path to building a nuclear arsenal in the future. He said Iran has always planned “at the highest levels” to continue to work on the program.

The authenticity of the documents could not be verified, and it was not clear whether they shed any new light on what international inspectors already have concluded. The documents appeared to date back to the early 2000s, when international inspectors already believe Iran was pursuing a weapons program.