Netanyahu Promises New Proof Iran Lied About Nuclear Program

(Bloomberg) -- More proof that Iran lied about its nuclear weapons program will “be revealed soon,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Last year, the Israeli leader exposed a trove of documents that purported to show how Iran hid its efforts to build nuclear bombs from international overseers. Days later, President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal Iran signed with major global powers and reinstated biting economic sanctions.

Earlier on Monday, Iran said it had exceeded limits set on its enriched-uranium stockpile, a move that risks the total collapse of the 2015 nuclear accord. Though analysts say Iran could still reverse course, such a step most likely will demand a U.S. response which could escalate to military force.

“When we exposed Iran’s secret nuclear arsenal, we proved that the entire nuclear agreement with Iran is based on one big lie,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Monday. “Now even Iran admits it. More proof will be revealed soon that Iran has lied all the time.”

European powers -- parties to the 2015 deal -- have been trying to salvage what’s left of the agreement. Netanyahu, who led the campaign against the agreement and has repeatedly said Iran is the biggest threat to his country and to the region, called on European countries to stand on the side of the Trump administration.

“I also call on all European countries: Stand by your commitments,” he said. “Your commitment to act as soon as Iran violates the nuclear agreement, your commitment to use the mechanism of automatic sanctions set by the Security Council.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Yaacov Benmeleh in Tel Aviv at ybenmeleh@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Ben Sills

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