According to experts and analysts , Benjamin Netanyahu’s presentation, and his claim of “new and conclusive proof” of nuclear violations by Iran, were nothing more than a rehash of old allegations already dealt with by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Arguably the Middle East's biggest lier , with a long history of lies concerning illegal Zionist settlements in the occupied West Bank, expulsion of Palestinians, torture of Palestinians, and the so-called two-state solution, Benjamin Netanyahu in his televised prime-time speech claimed “Iran lied, big time.” He also claimed: “The Iran deal, the nuclear deal, is based on lies.”
Netanyahu's maps, diagrams, powerpoint slides and spreadsheets failed to impress many experts who have pointed out that virtually all of Netanyahu’s evidence had been seen by UN watchdog, IAEA experts as long ago as 2005. In fact, at the time, the IAEA judged that substantial work on nuclear research in Iran ceased in 2003, and that there was no evidence of research activities after 2009. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, the task of investigating Iran’s nuclear past has been handed over to the IAEA.
Olli Heinonen, the former chief inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said his department first saw the documentation that Netanyahu presented on Monday, 30 April 2018, way back in 2005.
After watching Netanyahu’s presentation, Heinonen said: “I just saw a lot of pictures I had seen before.”
Heinonen said: “Some of the images that we saw I briefed to the IAEA board in a closed session in February 2008.”
In his theatrical presentation, Benjamin Netanyahu failed to even mention the hundreds of nuclear warheads that Israel has stockpiled since the 1950s and 60s in its deadly nuclear weapons arsenal. It is also worth noting that six years ago, Netanyahu was universally derided for his "silly diagrams" and lackluster presentation at the UN General Assembly.
James Acton, co-director of the nuclear policy programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, after watching Netanyahu's latest presentation said: "The main purpose of the presentation was to influence Donald Trump before the 12 May sanctions deadline. He had an audience of one so we wait to see what influence it had on that audience of one."
Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has already warned that if the US pulls out of the nuclear deal, Tehran would be “highly unlikely” to remain inside and the consequences will not be very pleasant for the United States.
After Netanyahu’s presentation, Zarif described it as a “rehash of old allegations already dealt with by the IAEA”. He suggested it had been orchestrated to justify Donald Trump’s looming decision to pull out of the deal.
