Iran Denounces Netanyahu’s U.N. Remarks on Nuclear Threat

Iran’s Ambassador Amir Saeed Iravani condemned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s remarks last week on nuclear weapons made during his United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) speech. In a letter to the U.N. on Tuesday, Iravani expressed Iran’s concerns about Netanyahu’s statement and vowed that Iran would not hesitate to defend its national interests.

The Iranian response to Netanyahu’s speech was reported by the Iranian government-funded and operated Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

In the letter, Iravani wrote, “We will not hesitate to exercise our legitimate and inherent rights to defend our national interests.” He also pointed out that the Iranian government wanted to bring the Security Council’s attention to what they considered an alarming and serious threat by the Israeli Prime Minister regarding the use of nuclear weapons against Iran.

During his U.N. speech, Netanyahu had asserted that “Iran must face a credible nuclear threat” and pledged to do everything in his power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. However, the Prime Minister’s Office later clarified that Netanyahu meant to say “military threat” instead of “nuclear threat,” as per his prepared speech notes.

Iravani emphasized in his letter that the use or even the mere threat of using nuclear weapons, regardless of circumstances, constitutes a clear violation of international laws. He underlined the gravity of the situation, particularly because it comes from Israel, a country that Iran considers an “illegitimate regime” responsible for apartheid practices and supporting terrorism.