Jerusalem Calls for Additional Iran Sanctions Due to Nuclear Violations

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has urged global powers to impose additional sanctions on Iran due to an uptick in that country’s nuclear activities and its lack of transparency with respect to related facilities. “The International Atomic Energy Agency has determined that Iran refused to give… inspectors access to sites where [Tehran] conducted secret nuclear military activity,” Netanyahu said during Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting. The UN nuclear watchdog on Friday revealed that the Islamic Republic had accumulated nearly eight times the amount of low-enriched uranium permitted under the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal, and for months prevented the IAEA from examining various installations. “In light of these discoveries, the international community must join the US and re-impose crippling sanctions on Iran,” Netanyahu added. The Islamic Republic has progressively violated commitments stipulated in the nuclear accord since President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the deal in May 2018. The Israeli premier also vowed to “continue to act systematically against Iran’s attempts to establish a military presence on our borders.” The comments came a day after Jerusalem was accused of green-lighting eight strikes against Iranian assets in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor region that killed 12 fighters.