Netanyahu calls on the international community to ‘wake up’ after IAEA confirms Iran lied about nuclear program
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Iran of lying about its nuclear program and called on the international community to “wake up” and sanction Iran, as the International Atomic Energy Agency reportedly reviewed a secret atomic site in Tehran uncovered by Israeli intelligence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a statement to the media in a press conference in Jerusalem regarding the nuclear program of Iran. Jerusalem, Sep 9, 2019. Photo by Esty Dziubov/TPS
Netanyahu’s statement came at a time of increased tensions between Iran and the international community over its renewed uranium enrichment at its Fordow facility, in violation of the 2015 international accord.
“A year ago, speaking at the UN, I exposed Iran’s secret nuclear warehouse in Turquzabad. This morning, a special board meeting of the IAEA published its findings on Iran’s activities in the no-longer-secret facility. The IAEA now confirms that Iran lied. And that Iran continues to lie about its nuclear program,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu was referring to an Iranian site he described during his speech to the UN General Assembly last September. The IAEA’s top inspector has now reportedly accused Iran of hiding information about uranium production at this atomic warehouse, where evidence of such work had been found earlier this year.
The Israeli premier called on world leaders to join Israel and the US in their efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program, as it poses a danger to the entire international community.
“I urge the international community to wake up. I call on the nations to join the US and Israel and further increase pressure on Iran. Iran is a danger not only to Israel and the Middle East. It is a danger to the whole world. I applaud that, at least today, the International Atomic Energy Agency understood this well,” he said.
“Israel will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons under any circumstances,” Netanyahu concluded.
