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International pressure kept Iran from gaining nuclear weapons over the last two decades, and is the only thing keeping it from crossing the nuclear threshold now, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Tuesday in response to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani\’s comment that threats against Iran will not work.
"Iran\’s president said that pressure won\’t work. Not true," Netanyahu said during a meeting with 36 Democratic US Congressman.
He said that the world needed to understand that the only thing that would keep the Iranians from moving forward now is "increased pressure."
"I have said that before, and I\’ll say it again, because that\’s important to understand. You relent on the pressure, they will go all the way. You should sustain the pressure," he said.
In a certain sense, Netanyahu was preaching to the converted since the House voted last week – on the eve of Rouhani\’s inauguration– to increase US sanctions on Iran, targeting what remains of its oil sector.
Netanyahu\’s comments came just after Rouhani gave his first press conference since taking office on Sunday.
The congressmen are here on a one-week tour sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation, a charitable organization affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The group, which includes 31 freshman representatives, is led by Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland). A group of 26 Republican congressman, led by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) is scheduled to arrive next week.