Israeli ambassador warns Iran ‘racing forward’ on nuclear program

The Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, warned that Iran is rapidly advancing its nuclear program while refusing to cooperate with the nuclear watchdog, arguing that diplomatic efforts to contain Tehran have failed.

“Right now we’re at a pivotal moment because Iran is racing forward in the nuclear program,” Leiter said in an interview with Fox News, pointing to the upcoming March 3 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“They’re supposed to produce a report on Iranian progress, but they won’t be able to because Iran doesn’t really cooperate with the IAEA.”

In 2023, Iran banned around one third of the IAEA's inspectors and the IAEA's chief, Rafael Grossi, said last month, “Iran is not still cooperating as we would like them to do.”

Leiter accused Iran’s leadership of lying about its nuclear ambitions and dismissed diplomatic efforts. “These people are liars. They’re charming liars. But they lie,” he said.

He added that Iran has openly declared its intention to destroy Israel and warned that its missile attacks on Israeli cities were part of a broader campaign against the West.

“They call us the little Satan. The United States is the big Satan. And they’re coming for Western civilization as a whole," he said.

He dismissed efforts to negotiate with Iran, saying, “You can’t talk Iran out of this.” He contrasted the Trump administration’s approach with prior US policies, praising former President Donald Trump for withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal.

“There’s real clarity on the Iranian situation within the Trump administration,” he said, emphasizing strong coordination between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Leiter's remarks come amid growing concerns over Iran’s uranium enrichment program.

Last Wednesday, the IAEA found that Iran's stock of near-bomb-grade uranium has risen to levels which in principle could be refined further into the equivalent of six nuclear bombs, according to a Reuters report citing confidential IAEA files.