Israel criticizes prisoner swap agreement between US, Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday criticized a US-Iran agreement to release around $6 billion worth of frozen Iranian assets in the South Korea Central Bank in exchange for a prisoner swap, Anadolu reports.

“Israel’s position is clear regarding agreements that won’t dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, won’t halt its nuclear activities, but instead will provide funding to terror elements sponsored by Tehran,” said Netanyahu in a written statement issued by his office.

Netanyahu further added that Israel considers Iran’s nuclear program and the groups it is affiliated with in the region as the “number one national security threat.”

Israel supported then-US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the deal in 2018, by strongly opposing the 2015 agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program.

Israel advocates for military intervention as a deterrent against Iran’s nuclear program.

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