Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's policy conference on Tuesday, castigated the Iran nuclear deal and praised President Donald Trump for taking a tough stance against the Islamic Republic.
"The force behind so much of what is bad is this radical tyranny in Tehran," Netanyahu said at the annual event hosted by the pro-Israel lobbying group. "If I have a message for you today, it’s a very simple one: We must stop Iran. We will stop Iran."
The Israeli prime minister's remarks on Iran begin in the above clip at 18:46.
Netanyahu reflected on his 2015 speech at AIPAC when he warned the Iran nuclear deal was a "threat to the survival of Israel" and the "peace of the world." He went on to say he told the international community that Iran could not be trusted and that the nuclear deal gave the regime a "clear path towards developing a nuclear arsenal in little more than a decade."
"I warned that by removing Iran's sanctions, Iran's regime would not become more moderate and peaceful, but more extreme and belligerent–much more dangerous," Netanyahu said. "Ladies and gentlemen, that's exactly what has happened."
He then presented a chart detailing how darkness in the form of "radical tyranny in Tehran" was expanding its regional influence in Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
"Last week, we read in the book of Esther about an earlier Persian attempt to exterminate our people. They failed then. They'll fail now. We will never let Iran develop nuclear weapons. Not now, not in ten years, not ever," Netanyahu said. "President Trump has made it clear that his administration will not accept Iran's aggression in the region. He has made clear that he too will never accept a nuclear armed Iran. That is the right policy. I salute President Trump on this."
"The president has also made it clear that if the fatal flaws of the nuclear deal are not fixed, he will walk away from the deal and restore sanctions," Netanyahu added. "Israel will be right there by America’s side and, let me tell you, so will other countries in the region."
Netanyahu was also quick to separate the Iranian regime from the "brave people" of Iran, noting the people's hopes, suffering, and courage.
"Women are jailed for removing their hijabs, students are tortured–tortured and shot–for advocating freedom," Netanyahu said. "We stand with those in Iran who stand for freedom. Now I believe that a day will come when this horrible tyranny will disappear, will perish from the earth. And at that point, the historic friendship between the people of Israel and the people of Persia will be reestablished."
Netanyahu’s speech came as Trump and Congress are taking into account multiple options on the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the president decertified last October. Vice President Mike Pence on Monday said the administration was willing to exit the deal if satisfactory changes are not made.