Iran is training “proxy terror armies” to operate advanced drones at the Kashan base north of the city of Isfahan, Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz said. “This base is a key point from which Iranian aerial terrorism is exported to the region,” he said.
The terrorist operatives being trained to use the unmanned aerial vehicles come from Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, Gantz said on Sunday at the annual International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) Conference at Reichman University. “Iran is also attempting to transfer the know-how needed for UAV production to Gaza,” he added.
Regarding Iran’s nuclear program and IAEA reports published in recent days, which for the first time in a decade cast doubt on the civilian nature of Iran’s nuclear program, Gantz said that “Iran does not honor the agreements it has signed, and there is no reason to believe that it will honor any future agreements. The time has come for action. I call on the countries that are still members of the nuclear agreement to impose the sanctions set out in the agreement. It’s time to make a ‘snapback.’”
“The efforts against Iran, as well as against Afghanistan and other countries, are not just interests for the Middle East or for the West. Proxies can be set up anywhere in the world. This is the time for all the world’s powers, including Russia and China, to join the campaign to maintain global stability,” Gantz said.
Gantz acknowledged that Israel has a “political dispute” with the leaders of the Palestinian Authority and that it “must be resolved.” He added that “we share a common desire for peace and security for all those who live between the sea and Jordan.”
He referenced his recent meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who, Gantz said, “has been working against terrorism over the years, in the interests of his people and his national vision. In these challenging times, coordination with the Palestinian Authority and strengthening the Palestinian economy is dozens of times better than strengthening Iranian proxies on our borders.”
Gantz added that Israel is promoting measures for economic and social development in the West Bank and Gaza. “This being said, if terrorist organizations try to take advantage of the situation, and act against the interest of most of the Palestinians who want to continue the trend of economic development and stability – they will be the first to be charged a price,” he said.