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Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News' "Hannity" Thursday night that his country and the United States have a "grand mission" to confront the threat of a nuclear Iran.

Netanyahu, who met President Donald Trump at the White House Wednesday, told host Sean Hannity that Tehran's aggressive rhetoric toward Israel is meant to mask their intentions against the U.S.

"They want to have [intercontinental ballistic missiles] that can reach your country. Thats what theyre working on right now. Remember, youre the Great Satan [to them]," Netanyahu said. "They believe that theyre destined to govern the world. Anybody that doesnt agree with them, theyll be able to subjugate or kill, and theyre working on the means to achieve that."

Netanyahu described his meeting with Trump as a "historical moment," as well as "a meeting of the minds and a meeting of the hearts."

"I feel we have now, as the president says, an even stronger alliance," the prime minister said. "A new day, he called it. Maybe a new age."

Netanyahu again criticized the Iran nuclear deal, a key source of his frustration with the Obama administration.

"The deal essentially said this, it said no bomb today, 100 bombs tomorrow, in ten years," he said. "Now the assumption was, people [would say] Well, OK, were kicking the can down the road. But this nuclear can of a single bomb then becomes the capacity to make dozens and dozens of bombs. And Iran doesnt change its attitude."

"Since the signing of the deal," Netanyahu said, "Iran has become more aggressive, more deadly, sponsoring more terrorism with more money, a lot more money.

"Theyve killed Americans all over the place. Theyve sponsored terrorism against Americans all over the place. Now theyre going to build ICBMs that can reach the United States and have multiple warheads to do that? Thats horrible," he added. "Its dangerous for America, dangerous for Israel, dangerous for the Arabs. Everybody now understands it and theres an American president who understands it and were talking about what to do about this common threat."

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Netanyahu: US, Israel have 'grand mission' to confront Iran threat - Fox News

FRANKFURT, GERMANY

Iran sits on what are thought to be the worlds largest gas reserves, yet can barely supply its own domestic demand.

Since the United Nations-backed deal over Tehrans nuclear program spurred the lifting of international sanctions, the country has strived to attract foreign investment in developing oil fields and upgrading its aging infrastructure.

The Ministry of Petroleum helped to convene the CWC Iran Gas Conference this week in Frankfurt, Germany, to bring together government figures and private investors.

Watch: Energy Giants Say Iran Needs $100 Billion for Gas Upgrade

Industry experts: $100 billion needed

Industry estimates suggest Iran needs to invest $100 billion in order to fully exploit the reserves. The nuclear agreement removed some sanctions on Iran, but mainly in Europe. It remains extremely difficult for American companies to do business, according to Reiner Jahn, vice president of the German-Iranian Chamber of Commerce and expert on financing deals with Iran.

Unless its licensed by OFAC, the U.S. sanctions authority, there is no way for an American to negotiate any transaction with an Iranian, he said.

So Iran is looking elsewhere.

Indian demand for gas is forecast to grow rapidly, and Tehran sees it as a key market. The private consortium South Asia Gas Enterprise, or SAGE, has advanced plans for the worlds deepest underwater pipeline connecting the two countries.

Our reconnaissance survey was performed between Oman and India. Unfortunately at that time the leg that went to Iran couldnt be surveyed because of sanctions. SAGE is expecting to perform the remaining leg of the survey to Iran this year, project director Ian Nash told delegates at the conference.

The 1,300-kilometer, $5 billion pipeline would lie on the seabed, more than 2,500 meters below the oceans surface. The viability of such investments depends on the price of gas, currently difficult to predict, says Vincent Groote of Dutch engineering firm Twister Supersonic Gas Solutions.

An OPEC for natural gas

You get [the price] floating up and down, which is not what investors would like. So I can imagine that as a natural development, similarly as OPEC for oil, in the long future we could think about a GPEC lets say a Gas-Producing-Exporting Country type of infrastructure.

Iran likely would wield considerable power in such a cartel, though there are clouds on the horizon.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the nuclear deal, and he has imposed new sanctions on Iran following a recent missile test. History shows that the United States could still intervene to disrupt foreign investment, says Jahn.

The U.S. invented secondary sanctions, where they sanction European companies that acted in complete accordance with EU law, but not in accordance with U.S. law. Therefore. I think they have an impact in our market, he said.

The French bank BNP Paribas was fined $8.9 billion by U.S. authorities in 2014 for breaking such sanctions.

The nuclear deal may have lifted some restrictions, but analysts say Trump has introduced new uncertainty just as foreign investment in Iran starts to build.

Read more here:
Iran Needs Billions to Upgrade Gas Fields, But Will Investors Invest? - Voice of America

Forbes

Iran Irony: IRGC And State Firms Are Benefiting From JCPOA Forbes Those who raised the Iran deal flag, mainly in the United States and Europe, claimed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would boost trade and encourage foreign investment, enhancing Iran's private sector and eventually downgrading the ... Thursday February 16, 2017Israel Hayom Iranian Concepts of Warfare: Understanding Tehran's Evolving Military DoctrinesAmerican Enterprise Institute all 7 news articles »

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Iran Irony: IRGC And State Firms Are Benefiting From JCPOA - Forbes

The Americans were greeted in Iran with red roses, smiling fans and a barrage of selfies. No diplomatic crisis here.

But that wasn't the case just two weeks ago. Back then in the wake of President Trump's now-frozen travel ban it didn't look like a group of U.S. wrestlers would be allowed to compete in one of the sport'smost prestigious events. Now many arecalling it a triumph of sports over politics.

We are very happy to be here in Iran and ready to compete! Olympic gold medalistJordan Burroughswrote in a caption to an Instagram post on Tuesday, when the team landed in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah for the Freestyle World Cup.

The accompanying photo showed Burroughs, who is leading the team, surrounded by a crowd of local fans and reporters at the airport. Greeters gave the athletes roses and took selfies with Burroughs and others.

Welcome to Iran champ!!!!" one Iranian user, Saeed Mohammadi, commented on the Instagram photo.

Another, Nima Jan, said he was traveling to the stadium to cheer for Burroughs.

You proved that you are a noble man. This is a big chance for us, Jan said. We do not pay attention to the behavior of America's government toward Iran.

The two-day tournament began Thursday, when U.S. wrestlers faced off against Georgia, Russia and Azerbaijan. But it wasn't always certain that the Americans would get to compete. Just as in years past, the athletes were at the mercy of tensions between the two governments.

In late January, Trump signed an executive order temporarily banning nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. Iranian officials responded by announcing their own entry ban on U.S. citizens, including the wrestling team that was just weeks away from traveling to Kermanshah.

Wrestling is wildly popular in Iran and is widely considered as the countrys national sport. Kermanshah has also served as an epicenter for wrestling in Iran.

I love Iran. I love their people, and I don't get into politics, Burroughs told the Associated Press on Feb. 3, after the team was notified they would not be able to travel.

I wasn't going to make a political stance, he said. I was going to compete.

Then something happened. On Feb. 5, a federal judge temporarily suspended the ban, and a higher U.S. appeals court refused the government's request to immediately reinstate the executive order.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded almost immediately on Twitter, saying the judicial decisions had prompted Iran's government to reverse course and grant visas to the U.S. wrestling team.

The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since Iranian militants seized hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 following Iran's Islamic revolution. But in 1998, a wrestling tournament in Iran offered a chance for a small opening.

A U.S. wrestling team became the first American sports team to visit Iran since the revolution. The wrestlers received a warm reception, and the event opened the door for other U.S. sports and cultural exchanges.

This World Cup is going to be a special one! American wrestlerJames Greentweeted on Feb. 1.

We'll be bringing nations together as always, he said. No other sport does that like wrestling.

Brian Murphy contributed to this post.

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American wrestlers in Iran welcomed with roses and selfies - Washington Post

American Enterprise Institute

Russia, Iran Need Each Other, Despite Disagreements - WSJ Wall Street Journal (subscription) Iran and Russia aren't often on the same page in the Middle East, but if President Donald Trump's administration attempts to drive a wedge between the two, ... Pitting Russia against Iran in Syria? Get over itAmerican Enterprise Institute EXCLUSIVE: Shadowy Iranian general visits Moscow, violating sanctionsFox News Targeting Iran's Regime Will Strengthen, Not Break, the Moscow ...LobeLog Financial Tribune all 17 news articles »

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Russia, Iran Need Each Other, Despite Disagreements - WSJ - Wall Street Journal (subscription)