Israeli PM Netanyahu says Israel will not allow Iran to restore its ballistic missile or nuclear programmes, echoing recent US warnings.
JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that Israel would not allow Iran to restore its ballistic missile programme.
He also vowed to prevent Tehran from renewing the nuclear programme that Israel had previously damaged.
“We will not allow Iran to restore its ballistic missile industry, and certainly we will not allow it renew the nuclear programme that we significantly damaged,” Netanyahu told lawmakers.
He warned that any attack on Israel would result in severe consequences for Iran.
This threat follows US President Donald Trump’s recent warning to “eradicate” Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile efforts.
Israeli officials have expressed concern that Iran is rebuilding its missile arsenal after the June war.
Trump stated Iran “may be behaving badly” and could be seeking new nuclear sites.
“I hope they’re not trying to build up again because if they are, we’re going have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup,” Trump said.
He added the US response could be more powerful than previous actions.
Trump also indicated he believed Iran remained interested in a deal with Washington.
Tehran denies any pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu also commented on the ongoing protests within Iran, suggesting they had expanded greatly.
“It is very possible that we are at a decisive moment — a moment when the Iranian people will take their destiny into their own hands,” he said.
Protests began in late December over economic issues and have since spread with political demands.
On Sunday, Netanyahu expressed Israel’s solidarity with the Iranian demonstrators.
“We stand in solidarity with the struggle of the Iranian people and with their aspirations for freedom, liberty and justice,” he stated.
