Iranian President Threatens Israel, Says Int’l Inspections Could Ruin Nuclear Deal
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned on Monday that any Israeli military strike on his country’s nuclear program would lead to the destruction of “the Zionist regime.”
Raisi said Israel could not protect itself against Palestinian “resistance groups” and would not succeed in stopping Iran’s nuclear program. “Can they keep themselves safe? Can the Zionists defend themselves against Gaza despite the fact that its oppressed people are under blockade?” he asked, rhetorically.
Speaking at a press conference to mark his first year in office, the hard-line president also cautioned that continued international inspections of Iran’s undeclared nuclear sites would scupper the restoration of the nuclear agreement between Tehran and the world powers.
The 2015 agreement, which was abandoned by then-US President Donald Trump three years after its signing by his predecessor, President Barack Obama, saw Iran restrict its nuclear activities in return for an end to stringent international sanctions. The move by President Trump led to Iran also walking away from the agreement.
Israel has consistently opposed both the 2015 deal and the current plans to return to it under US President Joe Biden following his election in 2020.
