Expert: Netanyahu exposed Iranian nuclear files in support of Trump

Israeli senior intelligence and military correspondent Dr. Ronen Bergman explains why he thinks PM Netanyahu unveiled on Monday what he said was evidence of a secret Iranian nuclear weapons program.

By REUTERS
Updated: MAY 1, 2018 14:41
Bergman: Iranian files exposure by Israel serves both Netanyahu and Trump, May 1, 2018 (Reuters)
The unveiling of Iran's purported secret atomic files by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was aimed at supporting "a decision that was already made" by United States President Donald Trump to pull out of a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, an Israeli analyst said on Tuesday.
In a prime-time televised statement on Monday night Netanyahu presented what he said were Iranian documents obtained in a daring Israeli intelligence operation that purportedly prove Iran had been developing nuclear weapons before a 2015 deal that it signed with the US and world powers.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the information showed that Iran's leaders lied to their people about a nuclear weapons program known as "Project Amad". But Pompeo declined to say whether the documents provided evidence of a violation of the nuclear deal.
Senior Israeli military and intelligence analyst Ronen Bergmen told Reuters the unveiling served both Trump and Netanyahu.
"I think this is the first time when the operation is being identified as Israeli intelligence by Israeli prime minister with the release of all the material," he added. "And of course it also serves political goals of both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump."
Intelligence experts and diplomats said Netanyahu's presentation did not seem to have a "smoking gun" showing a violation by Iran but it could strengthen the hand of advisers to Trump who want to scrap the nuclear agreement.
Trump has threatened to pull the United States out of the international deal unless it is renegotiated by May 12. After Netanyahu spoke, Trump repeated his criticism of the deal, suggesting he backed the Israeli leader's remarks.


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