JERUSALEM — A new Israeli government report published in local media Thursday concludes that international sanctions are hitting Iran hard and called for another round, adding a new wrinkle to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that tougher action is needed to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing nuclear weapons.
The Foreign Ministry report adds to the cacophony of voices coming out of Israel over the showdown with Iran. Four rounds of U.N. sanctions have already been placed on Iran.
The report, according to details published in the Haaretz newspaper, found that Iran’s oil exports declined by more than 50 percent in the past year — from 2.4 million barrels a day to 1 million — and oil revenues dropped by $40 billion since the beginning of the year. An Israeli foreign ministry official confirmed the report and said it recommended that another round of sanctions should be imposed.
