Israel views the renewed US sanctions imposed against Iran on Nov. 2 as nothing less than a historic event. Given the complex situation on its northern front, Israel is increasingly pinning its hopes on the sanctions to sever the lifeline of Iran’s economy. Israel had apparently lost the battle against Iran’s entrenchment in Syria through no fault of its own. On the other hand, Israel now hopes to win the war against the Iranian regime, its nuclear program and continued sponsorship of regional terrorism. The sanctions are a nonconventional weapon designed to help it achieve this existential goal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been closely monitoring the renewed sanctions imposed by the Donald Trump administration. When the previous round of sanctions was imposed in August, Netanyahu hailed the move, praised Trump and urged Europe to join the American sanctions regime. This week, on Nov. 5, he told the Knesset, “This day is a historic day. This is the day on which the United States, led by President Trump, imposed the most severe sanctions on Iran since the beginning of the effort to stop its aggression.”