Matty STERN / U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a strong warning to Iran, pledging to crush any effort to rebuild its nuclear programme, even as a fragile ceasefire holds between the two nations.
During a national address on Tuesday, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, stating that the country would act decisively if Tehran resumes its nuclear ambitions.
“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Netanyahu declared.
“We have already thwarted Iran’s nuclear project, and if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination and intensity to foil such attempt.”
His comments came just hours after Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, announced on state television that Iran had already taken measures to continue its nuclear operations, despite recent airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel on key nuclear facilities.
The heightened rhetoric follows 12 days of intense military exchanges between the two countries, involving missile strikes and air raids that raised global alarm over potential escalation.
Although a ceasefire was brokered on Monday, both Israel and Iran have since accused each other of violating the truce shortly after it took effect, casting doubt on how long the calm will last.
