Israel Warns: Iran's Leadership Calls for Death to America

Chris Mitchell

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter did nothing to dissuade him from the belief that the new nuclear agreement with Iran is a fool's bargain.
"We are told the whole world supports this bad deal; well, that's just not true. Israel and many Arab states oppose this deal, and, in any case, sometimes the entire world can be wrong," Netanyahu said.
As the debate over the agreement shifts to Capitol Hill, Israeli officials are calling attention to the danger Iran poses not just to Israel, but to the United States.
Director General of Israel's Foreign Ministry Dore Gold told reporters Iran not only shouts "death to America," it also operates inside the United States.
"When we're speaking about Iran, we're dealing with a country whose leadership calls for death to America," Dore said. "It's not as though Israel is taking action because it alone is in the crosshairs of the Iranian military. The United States is in the crosshairs of the Iranian military."
"America is targeted by Iran," he continued. "Hezbollah today, which is, let's be clear about it, Hezbollah is an extension of the Iranian security apparatus. It has networks in Europe and in the United States.
"And we say that both the Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah are operating in 30 countries, according to our best information," he said.
Despite the worldwide influence of Hezbollah and Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the agreement gives a long list—70 pages worth of Iranian companies, entities, and individuals—freedom from sanctions. That will represent a windfall for Iran's economy—and critics warn some of that money will be used to fund terrorist activities around the world.