Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday that he was prepared to use his “right of self-defense” to stop Iran’s nuclear program.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who arrived in Israel Thursday night for a quick visit, spoke with Bennett in the morning before leaving immediately for Vienna.
According to Israeli officials, in that conversation, Bennett “made it clear that while Israel prefers diplomacy to deprive Iran of the possibility of developing nuclear weapons, reserves the right of self-defense and action against Iran to stop its nuclear program“.
Over the course of this week, the Israeli Armed Forces carried out a military exercise involving planes over the Mediterranean and warships in the Red Sea.
According to the Israeli press, the exercise simulated a large-scale attack on Iranparticularly against nuclear installations.
During the meeting with Grossi, the Israeli prime minister also called for stronger action by the international community against Iran, calling for “all means” to be used to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Israel – which according to several experts is the only nuclear power in the Middle East – perceives Iran’s atomic program as a threat to its security, which it accuses of having the objective of creating atomic bombs, something that Tehran has always denied.
The Jewish state thus opposes the relaunch of the 2015 international agreement on Iranian nuclear energy – which was supposed to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring the atomic bomb, in exchange for lifting economic sanctions – from which the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018. . .
Israel fears that this agreement will allow the financial replenishment of Iran, which could increase its assistance to regional allies, namely the Lebanese movement Hezbollah or the Palestinian Hamas, enemies of the Jewish state.
Source: Observadora
