President Isaac Herzog told the incoming US ambassador Sunday that Israel will take action to “protect itself” should the international community fail to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
The comments, during a traditionally sedate ceremony to accept the credentials of Tom Nides, underlined tensions between Israel and the US amid talks in Vienna last week aimed at bringing the United States back into the 2015 nuclear pact between Iran and world powers.
Speaking in English alongside Nides, Herzog called the Iran threat “the greatest challenge Israel and the United States face.”
“We are closely following the international community’s recent negotiations with Iran,” said Herzog. “Israel will welcome a comprehensive, diplomatic solution which permanently solves the Iranian nuclear threat.”
“In the case of a failure to achieve such a solution, Israel is keeping all options on the table and it must be said that if the international community does not take a vigorous stance on this issue — Israel will do so. Israel will protect itself,” he warned.
The comments were the latest of a string of barely veiled warnings from Israeli officials, who insist that restoring the nuclear deal will leave Iran on the path to nuclear weapons capabilities and that it will take whatever steps necessary, including military action, to keep it from happening
Nides said that the two countries will work closely to counter the threat Iran poses to Israel and the region, and that the US is committed to ensuring that Iran “never develops a nuclear weapon.”
A US official said Saturday that Iran, now under a new, more hardline government, had backed away from all its previous compromises on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, after talks in Vienna took place over several days last week following an extended hiatus.
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