Israeli PM meets IAEA chief over Iran’s nuke activities

JERUSALEM, June 3– Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with visiting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi on Friday, urging the international community to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons. He emphasized the urgent need in mobilizing the international community to “take action against Iran, using all…

JERUSALEM, June 3 (Xinhua) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with visiting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi on Friday, urging the international community to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons.

Bennett expressed Israel’s deep concern regarding Iran’s continued progress toward achieving nuclear weapons while “deceiving the international community by using false information and lies.”

He emphasized the urgent need in mobilizing the international community to “take action against Iran, using all means, in order to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons.”

Stressing his country’s support for the IAEA carrying out its mandate in a professional and independent way, the Israeli prime minister noted the importance of the IAEA Board of Governors “delivering a clear and unequivocal message to Iran in its upcoming decision.”

While Israel prefers diplomacy to deny Iran the possibility of developing nuclear weapons, it reserves the right to self-defense and to act against Iran in order to block its nuclear program should the international community not succeed in the relevant time frame, Bennett said.

Grossi’s visit came amid Israel’s mounting concern over Iran’s nuclear activities and any potential return to the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers. He arrived in Israel Thursday night before heading to the Austrian capital of Vienna for an IAEA Board of Governors meeting on Monday. Enditem