Sputnik - Israel�s continued attacks on targets in Syria and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu�s highly publicized accusations against Iran appear designed to pull US President Donald Trump into a war with Iran, analysts told Sputnik.




Netanyahu in�a televised address on�Monday said Tel Aviv had proof Iran maintained a nuclear weapons program despite�signing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of�Action (JCPOA) with�the five permanent members of�the UN Security Council plus Germany and the European Union in�2015.

Netanyahu said during�his speech on�Monday that Israeli intelligence has 100,000 files proving that Iran continued to�maintain a secret nuclear program.

Trump has repeatedly described the�JCPOA�as�the worst deal in�US history and now faces a May 12 deadline to�decide whether or not the United States will remain a party to�the nuclear agreement.

Some expect Trump to�exit the agreement, however, Secretary of�State Mike Pompeo admitted during�his confirmation hearing that Iran was living up�to its commitments under�the agreement.

NETANYAHU LOOKS TO BE SEEKING SHOWDOWN WITH IRAN

Political commentator Dan Lazare warned that Netanyahu could push for�a conflict with�Iran even if Trump decides remain in�the 2015 nuclear agreement with�Tehran.

"Even if the accord remains in�place, Netanyahu may still push for�a showdown with�Iran, leaving Trump with�little choice but�to go along," Lazare said.

Netanyahu was using all the political support Israel enjoys among�both Republican and Democratic lawmaker sin both chambers of�the US Congress to�increase the pressure on�Trump to�pull out�of the nuclear accord, Lazare pointed out.

"Netanyahu wields immense power in�Washington, more in�fact than�Trump does. So his show-and-tell performance is undoubtedly having a huge effect," he said.

Netanyahu had been deliberately escalating the dangers of�conflict in�Syria to�try and force the US government into�a situation where it had no choice but�to back Israel up�in a confrontation with�Iran, Lazare warned.

"The question of�war is not entirely in�Washington's hands. Whatever the impact of�Netanyahu's speech, his repeated bombing forays, assuming they continue, will speak a lot louder than�words," he said.

AMERICANS CAPABLE OF DECIDING THEIR OWN POLICY ON IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT

The US government was not a passive player that Netanyahu could manipulate at�will, Lazare said.

"Washington is not entirely putty in�Israeli hands. To the contrary, Americans are big boys (and girls) who are perfectly capable of�figuring out�where their imperial interests lie on�their own. And that most definitely does not lie in�triggering yet another Middle East explosion," he said.

Most members of�Congress appeared to�favor remaining in�the nuclear agreement with�Iran, Lazare maintained.

Also, "When the moment of�truth arrives,�Trump�will surrender to�reason as�well� But that doesn't mean that an explosion won't occur regardless," Lazare said.

Trump could still be pulled into�a war with�Iran by�Israel just as�his predecessor, President Barack Obama, had been pulled into�supporting Saudi Arabia�s ongoing air war in�Yemen, Lazare noted.

"Obama felt he had no choice but�to provide backup, which is why, three years later, the United States finds itself in�yet another quagmire," he said.

TRUMP, LIKE NETANYAHU, SEEMS DETERMINED TO SCRAP NUCLEAR AGREEMENT

University of�Minnesota Professor of�Anthropology and Middle East historian William Beeman author of "The �Great Satan� vs. the �Mad Mullahs�" said he believed Trump had already decided to�pull out�of the 2015 nuclear agreement and that Netanyahu�s comments had been designed to�help him do so.

"The Netanyahu stunt was designed to�give cover to�Trump cover who it appears had already decided to�decertify the JCPOA on�May 12� Netanyahu gave him something to�point and go ahead with�this destructive action," he said.

However, Beeman pointed out�that Netanyahu had revealed no new information whatsoever on�the Iranian nuclear program in�his Monday presentation.

"The Netanyahu conference can most charitably be described as�a �cheap dog and pony show.� He revealed absolutely nothing new. All of�the �documents� were more than�15 years old and without�the ability to� inspect them, there is no way to�evaluate their relevance for�the current situation in�Iran," he said.

The diagrams Netanyahu showed in�his presentation are available on�Wikipedia or in�any elementary nuclear engineering text, Beeman observed.

"What is a hard fact is that Iran has scrupulously adhered to�the provisions of�the JCPOA. Netanyahu hinted darkly that the Iranians might be �cheating,� but�he provides no evidence for�this. It is all innuendo� Stupid beyond�belief," he said.

The European nations might still be able to�rescue the JCPOA but�they would have to�do so without�the United States, Beeman advised.

"The truth is that Trump is about�to make the world a much more dangerous place," he said.

The White House said in�a statement on�Monday that the United States supported Israel�s efforts and called the details gathered by�Israeli intelligence compelling, which seemed to�lend credence to�Netanyahu�s allegations.