(March 14, 2022)

Bennett, like Netanyahu, has been a fierce opponent of the Iran nuclear deal, which lifts sanctions on Iranian trade. The Biden Administration and its European allies want the deal, but, in the Moscow meeting with Bennett, Putin elaborated on a new roadblock to its signing. Sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. and European powers mean that any third-party company or government entity that trades with Russia may itself be sanctioned. Putin now insists that Russia’s support for the final deal is contingent on its being able to trade freely with Iran—which the original deal allowed.