Netanyahu: Israel Not 'Deluding' Itself Over Iran Election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the world to keep pressuring Iran to curtail its nuclear program, even after Hassan Rohani’s election as president of the Islamic Republic.

“Regarding the elections in Iran, we do not delude ourselves,” Netanyahu said at the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem today, according to an e-mailed statement. “The international community must not be caught up in wishful thinking and be tempted to relax the pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear program.”

Rohani has urged dialogue with the world and said technological progress shouldn’t come at the expense of the Iranian public’s welfare. That’s a departure from the policies of incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who pushed for nuclear development and has said Israel should be wiped off the map.

Iran says its nuclear program is intended for civilian use only. Netanyahu has said Iran aspires to create weapons that threaten Israel’s survival and “all options must be on the table” to stop it, including a military strike.

The Israeli leader told his Cabinet that Iran’s nuclear program is controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, not Rohani, and remains a threat to world peace.

“Iran will be judged by its deeds,” Netanyahu said. “If it continues to insist on developing its nuclear program, the response should be obvious -- stop its nuclear program by any means.”