Israeli Security Adviser Warns On Nuclear Iran At Bahrain Forum

Israeli National Security Advisor with his US counterpart Jake Sullivan, Undated
Israeli National Security Advisor with his US counterpart Jake Sullivan, Undated

Israel's national security adviser has called Iran the "most destabilizing force in the region", a threat to civilian life and "feeding on chaos" in the region.

Speaking in Bahrain at the annual Manama Dialogue, Eyal Hulata urged attendees to "think how much bolder and dangerous it will be with a nuclear umbrella, should Iran achieve its nuclear ambitions."

Israel considers Iran an existential threat, and has warned that it would act with military force if needed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran is set to renew nuclear talks with world powers this month, after the 2015 accord collapsed following the US withdrawal from the agreement in 2018.

Hulata also announced he'll be travelling to the United Arab Emirates later on Sunday, where Israel's energy minister is set to sign a declaration of intent with her Jordanian counterpart to build a solar field in Jordan that will provide energy to Israel, and a desalination plant to provide water to Jordan.

The Manama Dialogue takes place each year in Bahrain, a small island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia that's home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Report by AP