Israeli diplomats found it difficult this week to articulate exactly what it was that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was trying to achieve in his whirlwind trip to Berlin, Paris and London.
One official said that the trip was aimed at “increasing pressure on the Iranian regime”, but it was unclear how much more pressure could be applied from Europe. The leaders of Britain, France and Germany continue jointly to support the Iran deal, at least in words, but none are under any illusion that they can keep it alive in the face of new American sanctions.
The stampede of European companies out of Iran is testament to the weakness of the political leadership. If Iran decides to stick to the terms of the deal for now, it will be for its own reasons.
Another member of Mr Netanyahu’s entourage confidently estimated that “80 per cent of the work on Iran has already been done”. Whether the remaining 20 can be achieved through Europe was less clear.
