Netanyahu: We Will Not Allow Iran to Obtain a Nuclear Weapon

Hours after Iran announced it was withdrawing some of its commitments delineated in the multilateral 2015 nuclear deal, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reiterated that he would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weaponry. “We will continue to fight those who would kill us,” he said in a speech at a Memorial Day ceremony. Earlier in the day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened to resume high-level enrichment of uranium and set a 60-day deadline to negotiate new terms with the remaining signatories to the deal: Britain, China, the European Union, France, and Germany. A letter was also sent to Russia informing Moscow of the decision. The 2015 atomic accord lifted sanctions on the Islamic Republic in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. After the United States withdrew, it reimposed sanctions on Iran. France said on Wednesday it wanted to keep the deal alive, but warned Tehran that if its commitments were not kept, sanctions would remain on the table. French Defense Minister Florence Parly told French media that “nothing would be worse than Iran, itself, leaving this agreement.” China’s Foreign Ministry said the pact should be “fully implemented” and that all sides had a responsibility to ensure it happened.