In the midst of tensions, the president of Iran has threatened to “destroy” Israel if it launches military operations against Tehran’s nuclear program.
According to Mail Online, Israel is suspected of carrying out several attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and a well-known scientist.
In a rare news conference on Monday, President Ebrahim Raisi said if Israel decides to carry out its threats to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, ‘they will see if anything from the Zionist regime will remain or not.’
Raisi said that actions by Israel including ‘the assassination of (Iranian) nuclear scientists’ and ‘acts of sabotage’ against nuclear facilities could ‘not stop’ Iran’s nuclear program.
He also warned that any roadmap to restore Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers must-see international inspectors end their probe on man-made uranium particles found at undeclared sites in the country.
Raisi tried to sound upbeat as Iran’s economy and rial currency has cratered under the weight of international sanctions.
Despite the international attention on the deal as talks in Vienna hang in the balance, it took Raisi well over an hour before fully acknowledging the ongoing negotiations.
Tehran and Washinton have traded written responses in recent weeks on the finer points of the roadmap, which would see sanctions lifted against Iran in exchange for it restricting its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency for years has sought for Iran to answer questions about man-made uranium particles found at undeclared sites.
U.S. intelligence agencies, Western nations, and the IAEA have said Iran ran an organized nuclear weapons program until 2003. Iran long has denied ever seeking nuclear weapons.