Israeli FM says diplomacy still an option to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons
Israel's foreign minister said the country is not ruling out a diplomatic path to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, adding that there were signs that there could be indirect talks between Tehran and the United States.
"We don't hold discussions with the Iranians, as you know, but they made it clear they are ready to an indirect negotiations with the US, and I will not be surprised if such negotiations will start," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Thursday following a meeting with his French counterpart in Paris.
“What's important is the objective, and the objective is not to have Iran with nuclear weapon. I think it's international consensus, and we don't exclude the diplomatic path,” he added.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, though hardliners are calling for the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to drop the religious ban on nuclear weapons, an argument that has gained pace in the wake of threats from US President Donald Trump.
Trump recently threatened to bomb Iran if a deal is not reached within a two month deadline, prompting a sharp response from Khamenei, who warned of a "heavy blow in return" if Iran were attacked. The exact start date of Trump's deadline to Iran remains unclear.
According to two US officials cited by Axios, the White House is seriously considering the Iranian proposal for indirect nuclear talks, even as the US military significantly increases its presence in the Middle East.
"Iran is a dangerous state with an extremist regime that works intensively against regional stability, exporting the Islamist revolution and spreading terrorism in the region," Saar said after the meeting with Jean-Noël Barrot.
Since October 7 when Iran-backed Hamas invaded Israel, killing 12,000 mostly civilians and taking more than 250 others hostage, Iran's allies have launched attacks on Israel from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
"The most extremist regime in the world shouldn't possess the most dangerous weapon in the world," he added.
Along with the US, France was pivotal in securing the ceasefire between Israel and Iran's largest proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon. Following the Lebanese militia's assault on Israel in allegiance with Hamas in Gaza, the archenemies came the closest to war since 2006 before the ceasefire which came into effect in November.
"We shouldn't allow Hezbollah to recover and rearm, and we will not let it happen," said Saar, as the fragile ceasefire continues amid allegations from both sides of breaches.
"Inside Lebanon, there is cooperation between Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, and we will not allow terror activities from there against Israel and our civilians. We will not allow to come back to the reality of October 6th on any of Israel's borders."
On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it assassinated a Revolutionary Guards member coordinating Hamas and Hezbollah operations in Lebanon.
Hassan Ali Mahmoud Badir, a member of Hezbollah's Unit 3900 and the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, was killed in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.
"Badir recently operated in cooperation with the Hamas terrorist organization, directed Hamas terrorists, and assisted them in planning and advancing a significant and imminent terror attack against Israeli civilians," a statement released on Tuesday said.
"Given the immediacy of the threat, Badir was struck immediately in order to eliminate the threat posed by a terror attack intended to harm Israeli civilians."