Iran is threatening to retaliate against Israel over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dramatic presentation on how the regime hid its nuclear weapons program.
“[T]hey must stop their conspiracies and dangerous behavior, because Iran’s response will be surprising and make them regretful,” Amir Hatami, the Iranian defense minister, said in remarks carried by state-run PressTV.
Iran and Israel have clashed diplomatically and militarily in recent weeks, as the risk of a full-scale conflict in southern Syria has developed out of the Syrian civil war. Hatami’s comments took aim at Netanyahu’s unveiling of “Iran’s secret nuclear files” that were stolen by Israeli intelligence officials from Tehran and used to prove that the regime harbored the goal of obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“The timing of this show by a person who has a record of such acts proves that in addition to the general goals of this regime in pursuing hostility towards the Iranian nation, it also pursues other specific goals, which include following suit with [U.S. President Donald] Trump’s hostile scenario against the Iranian nation,” Hatami said.
Netayahu revealed the archive on Monday, as part of an apparent pitch to convince Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The Israeli leader argued that the documents prove Iran had sought nuclear weapons in the past and retained the research, despite swearing off any future intention of developing a nuclear weapon.
“The nuclear deal gives Iran a clear pass to an atomic arsenal,” Netanyahu said. “It should never have been concluded. And in a few days’ time, President Trump will decide, will make a decision on what to do with the nuclear deal. I’m sure he’ll do the right thing. The right thing for the United States, the right thing for Israel, and the right thing for the peace of the world.”
Trump faces a May 12 deadline to re-impose the sanctions that then-President Barack Obama waived when the JCPOA was implemented in 2015. He has threatened to abrogate the agreement unless European allies agree to a series of proposals that would toughen the deal, perhaps most notably a plan to clawback the provision of the deal that gradually allows Iran to develop nuclear material for peaceful purposes.
“They kept the documents for a reason, and one can speculate as to why,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Monday evening. “The JCPOA says you’ll never, ever have a nuclear weapons program … You won’t ever have a nuclear weapons program. But you chose to store in secret and hide these documents?”
Netanyahu’s presentation could put additional pressure on European allies to take a tougher posture regarding the “sunset” clauses that pertain to nuclear enrichment. British, German, and French officials have resisted U.S. efforts to threaten sanctions pertaining to that issue, for fear that Iran would regard it as a violation of the current pact.
“It is essential for the [International Atomic Energy Agency] to be able to continue verifying Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA and the peaceful nature of that country’s nuclear program,” a spokesperson for France’s top diplomat said Tuesday. “The new information presented by Israel could also confirm the need for longer-term assurances on the Iranian program, as the French President has suggested.”
