Achi news desk-
(Bloomberg) — Iran’s top general said his country may reconsider its nuclear policies if Israel threatens to attack its atomic sites, an implicit warning that Tehran could race toward a nuclear weapon as rhetoric continues to escalate over its April drone strike. 13. and missile attack.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Ahmad Haghtalab did not specify what the change might be, but Tehran has long said its nuclear program, which has sparked concern from the United States, Israel and the United Nations for years, is for peaceful purposes. lonely Haghtalab also said such an attack would trigger a tit-for-tat attack on Israel’s nuclear facilities.
“It is possible and possible to review the nuclear doctrine and policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and deviate from the considerations of previous statements” if Israel uses the threat of an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities to put pressure on Tehran, he said, in comments reported by the News Agency the state-run Islamic Republic.
The comments fueled tensions that the US and its allies have been trying to defuse in the days since Iran launched a barrage of some 300 drones and missiles at Israel in response to a strike in Syria that killed several of Iranian officials on April 1. Israel, the US and the UK shot down almost all of the weapons that came in, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials have said the country has no choose but respond.
Speculation has grown that Israel could use a retaliatory strike to target Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iran has continued to enrich its uranium to 60% purity, part of work it has continued in the years since the Trump administration backed a non-proliferation agreement meant to stop its nuclear developments.
“The nuclear bases of the Zionist enemy have been identified, and the necessary information about all the targets is available to us,” said Haghtalab. he has never confirmed their existence.
Read More: What Are Israel’s Options for Retaliating Against an Iran Strike?
Later in the day, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian reiterated Iran’s stance towards Israel while addressing the UN Security Council. The council was discussing tensions sparked by the October 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel and Israel’s subsequent ground operation in the Gaza Strip to root out the Iranian-backed militant group.
“Iran’s legitimate defense and countermeasures have been completed,” Amirabdollahian said. “Israel must be forced to stop any further military adventure against our interests.” If not, he said, Iran will “give a decisive and appropriate response” that will make Israel “regret its actions.”
President Joe Biden has urged Netanyahu to “seize the victory” after the success of Israeli air defenses in repelling the attack and not responding. The Israeli government and public are torn about what to do next, with a poll by the Hebrew University says that about half of Israelis believe their country should respond even if it means prolonging the conflict.
But there is also the question of how to do that, and whether it should be done alone. Brigadier General Zvika Haimovich, a former air defense chief, said there is no way Israel will do anything, but “I think it is very important for Israel not to stand alone against Iran.”
Meanwhile, Biden has tried to show that the US has Israel’s back and squeeze Iran’s economy even more. The United States imposed new sanctions on Thursday on 16 people and entities including a company that helped make engines for the type of drones launched in the barrage on Israel.
“I have directed my team, including the Treasury Department, to continue to impose sanctions that further degrade Iran’s military industries,” Biden said in a statement. “Let it be clear to all who enable or support Iran’s attacks: The United States is committed to Israel’s security.”
Read more: US Imposes Fresh Sanctions on Iran Over Israeli Drone Barrage
Israel welcomed the statement. Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote a post on X saying that now was the time “to form a global front and a regional coalition against Iran, together with the US, the EU, and moderate Arab states, to stop the head of the serpent which threatens global stability. ”
(Updates with the Iranian foreign minister’s statement in the 7th paragraph.)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
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Published: 19 April 2024, 02:43 AM IST
