Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu after their meeting in Jerusalem, May 22, 2017 Image by Getty Images

(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called President Trump’s decision to refuse to declare Iran in compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal “courageous.”

“It’s a very brave decision, and I think it’s the right decision for the world,” Netanyahu said during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning.

“I think that right now the deal as it stands guarantees that Iran will have not a single nuclear bomb but an entire nuclear arsenal within 10 years. And I think the president was very courageous in saying, ‘I’m not going to kick this can down the road. I’m not going to say, Well, it’s going to be on somebody else’s watch. I’m going to stop this from happening,’” Netanyahu said.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Trump triggered a legislative review by Congress on Friday by refusing to declare Iran in compliance with the 2015 deal, which trades sanctions relief for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program. Trump said in a White House speech on Friday that he would pull the United States out of the deal if he was not happy with the result.

Trump emphasized that he would like to add permanent restrictions on Iranian uranium enrichment, which are to be loosened within the next decade under the agreement, and stop its development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, which the deal does not address.

Netanyahu said that Israel’s military threat and the severe economic threat of “crippling” U.S. sanctions has kept Iran in line.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount