Netanyahu to European Leaders: Stop Funding Iran

TEL AVIV – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday urged European leaders to stop funding Iran, which he called a “sponsor of terrorism,” and slammed the  four remaining partners in the nuclear deal for inviting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to meet with them while an Iranian terror plot was unfolding in France.

“Here’s my message to the European leaders: Stop funding the very regime that is sponsoring terrorism against you and against so many others. Stop appeasing Iran!” the prime minister told some 2,500 people at a U.S. Independence Day event near Tel Aviv.

The P4 planned a meeting with the Iranian president in Europe to discuss ways around U.S. sanctions that were reinstated with President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal.

“Remember that Iran nuclear deal? Remember that? President Trump decided to leave this bad deal and he did the greatest thing for the security of the world and for the security of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

“Now, you should know that this is not yet universally accepted and I can tell you that this week there’s going to be a meeting in Europe … by the P4 without the United States. They’re going to discuss how to go around the decision that President Trump and the United States made to leave this bad deal which is funding Iran’s terrorism and its aggression with billions of dollars,” the prime minister said.

Netanyahu expressed his shock that the P4 had invited Rouhani while Tehran had meanwhile “dispatched a terrorist cell to carry out a major terrorist action in France.”

The terror cell’s commander was an Iranian diplomat in Austria.

“At the time of their capture, the cell members had explosives, detonators and more. European authorities are now completing their investigation and are expected to charge the Iranian agents and cell members behind the plot,” Netanyahu said.

“This Iranian terror plot was planned on the soil of Europe in the same week that the European leaders are supposed to meet the president of Iran about circumventing the sanctions on Iran,” Netanyahu continued.

Iran denied any involvement after Austria said it was suspending the Iranian’s diplomatic immunity after his arrest in Germany.