Israel’s Military Chief Says ‘Morally Obliged’ to Prepare to Strike Iran’s Nuke Program
Israel’s military chief on Sunday said the country has a “moral obligation” to prepare for military action against Iran’s nuclear program, in the wake of an Iranian claim warning that Tehran is capable of building a bomb.
“Preparing the home front for war is a task that must be accelerated in the coming years, especially in light of the possibility that we will be required to act against the nuclear threat,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi said.
“The IDF continues to prepare vigorously for an attack on Iran and must prepare for any development and any scenario,” he said. “Preparing a military option against the Iranian nuclear program is a moral obligation and a national security order.”
The nuclear threat was “at the center” of the IDF’s preparations, Kohavi said, which include “the allocation of many resources, the acquisition of appropriate weapons, intelligence and training.”
Senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Kamal Kharrazi, told Al Jazeera earlier on Sunday that Iran has the “technical means” to produce a nuclear bomb.
“Iran has the technical means to produce a nuclear bomb but there has been no decision by Iran to build it,” Kamal Kharrazi said, according to a translation by Reuters.
The U.S. and U.N. nuclear watchdog, meanwhile, have long maintained Iran may not be equipped with the knowledge to actually manufacture a bomb.
Iran has always upheld the claim its nuclear program is for peaceful uses.
“In a few days we were able to enrich uranium up to 60% and we can easily produce 90% enriched uranium,” Kharrazi said.
Israel “is in a phase of weakness, and President Joe Biden’s support for it will not bring it back to the fore,” Kharrazi told the network.
Ongoing talks with the U.S. to revive the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal were facing challenges due to “mistrust” on both sides, Kharrazi said.
“Our missile program and our regional policies” are not up for negotiation, Kharazzi said, because doing so would mean the regime would effectively surrender itself.
According to Kohavi, the world has exhausted the diplomatic route, favored by Biden.
“Blocking Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon with diplomacy is preferred, but history has proven many times that diplomacy can fail or succeed for only a short period of time, followed by violation or betrayal,” Kohavi said.
“First, if there is no agreement and the Iranian nuclear program continues to expand, and the second, in case there is an agreement identical or similar to the previous deal, which means a bad deal, giving Iran the conditions to become a nuclear state shortly after its expiration date,” he said.
Speaking from Jerusalem last week, President Joe Biden reiterated his view that negotiations aimed at resurrecting the deal was the optimal way to stop Iran for becoming nuclear.
“I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way,” Biden said at a joint press briefing with Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
Lapid publicly disagreed with Biden’s assertion, saying: “Words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table.”
