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Source: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.666413
Why Netanyahu Deserves Credit for the Iran Nuclear Deal
(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - Until 2009, Tehran seemed to be moving confidently toward the bomb. According to the memoirs of former leading members of the Obama administration, the Americans were genuinely apprehensive that Israel would mount an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in 2010, 2011 and 2012. More than any other factor, it was concern about a possible Israeli attack that induced Obama to impose an unprecedented series of sanctions on Iran. The sanctions, in turn, devastated the Iranian economy and led to Iran negotiating an agreement. The most cogent allegation against the terms of the agreement, which is echoed by senior figures in the defense establishment, is concern about a sharp increase in Iran's regional influence. With Iran no longer globally isolated and with its economy recovering and the country demonstrating its strategic status as a regional power, Tehran will embark on vigorous activity across the Middle East, backed by its recouped wealth.