This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
Published on December 4, 2019, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Lisbon, where he will urge further pressure on Iran.
Netanyahu has hailed the US sanctions imposed on Iran by President Donald Trump, saying they have squeezed the Iranian economy and prompted the government to raise fuel prices, sparking nationwide protests.
"I think President Trump has placed tremendous pressures and sanctions on Iran," Netanyahu said. "We're seeing the Iranian empire totter. We see demonstrations in Tehran, demonstrations in Baghdad, demonstrations in Beirut. It's important to increase this pressure against Iranian aggression."
Israel has long accused Iran of seeking to obtain nuclear weapons and has opposed a 2015 agreement designed to address the concerns of major powers. Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the deal in May last year and reimposed crippling sanctions.
Netanyahu's meeting with Pompeo comes as he fights for his political life after an indictment on graft charges. He is expected to criticise European governments that have signed up to a barter system that would allow Iran to trade without fear of US sanctions.
