"Thanks to crippling American sanctions, Iran is facing unprecedented economic pressure as a result of its aggression. So I was pleased to hear President Trump make clear yesterday that pressure will continue and that pressure will increase", Netanyahu said during a joint press conference with US National Security Adviser John Bolton ahead of the security summit between the United States, Israel and Russia.

The statement comes after US President Donald Trump said on 22 June that new "major" sanctions would be imposed on Iran on 24 June.

Tensions between Iran and the United States have been escalating after Iran on 20 June downed a US spy drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran claimed the drone was shot over Iranian airspace. The US military confirmed that the aircraft had been shot down, but said it was flying in international airspace.

Reacting on the incident, US President Donald Trump said he had ordered a retaliatory military action but called it off when it was still in the early stages, saying the response did not seem proportionate.

Since Washington quitted a nuclear pact with Tehran last year, the US keeps reimposing economic sanctions on Iran. Over the last year, the US authorities imposed tough sanctions against key areas of the Iranian economy in order to “change the behaviour” of the Islamic republic.