PM rails against EU countries’ support for system to circumvent Iran sanctions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rails against European countries which back the INSTEX system, designed to circumvent US sanctions on Iran.

Paris, London and Berlin on Saturday welcomed six new European countries — Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden — to the INSTEX barter mechanism, which is designed to bypass US sanctions against trade with Iran by avoiding use of the dollar. The Paris-based INSTEX functions as a clearing house allowing Iran to continue to sell oil and import other products or services in exchange.

The system has not yet enabled any transactions.

Commending anti-government protesters in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, says Netanyahu: “And while the people of the Middle East bravely stand up to Iran and its henchmen, here’s the absurd thing: While all of this is happening, countries in Europe are working to bypass US sanctions against Iran. While the Iranian regime is killing its own people, European countries rush to support that very murderous regime. While Iran bombs Saudi Arabia’s oil installations, while Iran rushes to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons, European countries rush to appease Iran with even more concessions.

“These European countries should be ashamed of themselves. Have they learned nothing from history? Well, apparently not. They are enabling a fanatic terrorist state to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, thereby bringing disaster to themselves and upon everyone else.

“Now is the time to change course. Now is the time to ratchet up the pressures on Iran, not to lessen them. Now is the time to join the United States and increase sanctions against Iran. To those who favor appeasement of Iran, I say this: History and your own people will judge you harshly. Change course now.”

— with Agencies