Israel’s foreign minister said a “reliable military option” needed to be on the table to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons as U.S. President Donald Trump steps up pressure on the Islamic republic and as Iran prepares for a possible Israeli attack.
Newsweek contacted Iran’s foreign ministry for comment on the statement made by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in an interview with POLITICO.
Why It Matters
Sa’ar’s comments come at a time of increased speculation over whether Israel will launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear program. Tensions have been rising in the Middle East with the United States stepping up military flights in the region and Iran carrying out military drills.
The United States has also been increasing pressure on Iran with new sanctions, including on its oil sector. Trump has said he would prefer a diplomatic solution over an attack on Iran, but has said Iran must be stopped from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran says that its nuclear program only has peaceful aims.
What We Know
Israel’s foreign minister was quoted by POLITICO as saying: “I think that in order to stop a nuclear Iranian program before it will be weaponized, a reliable military option should be on the table” when he was asked about the possibility of strikes during Trump’s presidency.
Sa’ar said that if Iran did get nuclear weapons, it would bring a nuclear arms race to the Middle East. Iran had already enriched enough uranium for a “couple of bombs”. Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons itself.
Iran has increased its production of uranium of near weapons-grade uranium according to a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency cited by the Associated Press. It said Iran had increased its stockpile or uranium enriched to 60 percent to 605.8 pounds by Feb. 8 from 203.9 pounds in November. Weapons-grade uranium is 90 percent.
Iran has rejected direct negotiations with the United States. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a news conference with visiting Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday that Iran would not negotiate under pressure, according to Iranian news agency IRNA.
What People Are Saying
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar: “I think that in order to stop a nuclear Iranian program before it will be weaponized, a reliable military option should be on the table,”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: “We will coordinate our positions on the nuclear issue in cooperation with our friends in Russia and China. Iran’s stance on the nuclear negotiations is crystal clear: We will not negotiate under pressure, threat, or sanctions.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: “We are convinced that diplomatic resources have not yet been exhausted and should not be disregarded. They must be used effectively, without threats or hints of military solutions.”
What Happens Next
An Israeli attack on Iran remains a possibility even though Trump has said he prefers diplomacy. Iranian forces are on a high level of alert after previous Israeli strikes damaged their air defenses. Any attack on Iran’s heavily concealed nuclear program would be far from guaranteed of success.
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