Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has failed to prise Angela Merkel away from supporting the Iran nuclear deal as he embarked on a three-country tour of Europe aimed at burying the agreement.
Hosting her Israeli counterpart in Berlin, Merkel said Germany supported Israel’s right to security, but resisted Netanyahu’s insistence that tearing up the non-proliferation deal was the best way to achieve this.
“We support Israel’s right to security and have said this to Iran at all times,” she said. “We have the same goal that Iran must never get a nuclear weapon and the difference between us is how to do that.”
Netanyahu was hoping to get Germany, France and Britain to soften support for the joint comprehensive plan of action, from 2015, under which Iran agreed to dramatically reduce its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief.
Donald Trump announced last month that Washington was withdrawing from the agreement, but the Europeans expressed regret at his move and stressed their continued commitment to the pact.
Iran has also continued to abide by the agreement. However, several top officials have suggested it may resume its enrichment activities unless the European Union presents a compensation package to make up for income loss resulting from the fresh US sanctions.
Trump and Netanyahu have criticised the deal’s perceived shortcomings, warning about “sunset” provisions that end restrictions on nuclear activities after 10 years, as well as permitting the continued development of long-range missiles.
In a televised presentation days before Trump was due to make a decision, Netanyahu revealed what he said was new evidence of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The material shown did not present a breach of the deal but European leaders suggested it showed evidence of Iran’s nuclear programme before 2015, which, they said, only reinforced the need for the agreement, which includes regular inspections.
Netanyahu said he would share the documents, which he said had come from a warehouse in Tehran, with the US and other countries and is expected to discuss the findings during his trip.
The Netanyahu visit came as the director general of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said his inspectors had access to all the sites his team needed to visit in Iran.
Speaking at the first meeting of the IAEA’s board of governors since Trump threw the future of the deal in doubt, rebutted suggestions that Iran was not cooperating.
Netanyahu’s European visit is in some ways targeted at the credibility of the IAEA. The majority of the board’s members are likely to issue statements through the week challenging the US decision to withdraw, and the repeated Israeli intelligence claim that Iran is secretly preparing a nuclear bomb.
Amano urged Tehran to go further in showing its willingness to offer reassurance, saying “timely and proactive cooperation by Iran in providing such access would facilitate implementation … and enhance confidence”.
In its last report, the IAEA confirmed Iran was still implementing the accord.
Netanyahu will also use his European tour to warn against Iran’s military entrenchment in Syria, where Tehran has sent forces to support President Bashar al-Assad.