Israel’s top diplomat called the strikes on Iran a “measure of last resort” to thwart Iranian nuclear weapons development and missile attacks on Israel.
The Israeli military’s operations against the Iranian regime are a “measure of last resort” that aim “to neutralize the existential and imminent threat from Iran’s nuclear weapon and ballistic missile program,” Gideon Sa’ar, Israeli foreign minister, told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.
Sa’ar cited “reliable intelligence,” which he said confirms that Tehran “significantly accelerated its clandestine efforts to develop nuclear weapons” in recent months. He also noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency found Iran’s expanding uranium enrichment activity to be in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion” began on Thursday night. The Jewish state has pounded parts of the country, including Tehran, and says it has killed many Iranian military leaders and scientists who were part of the nuclear program.