The option to launch a preemptive strike against Iran to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon remains viable, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in an interview Saturday.
Speaking with Italian-language daily Corriere della Sera, Katz – asked whether Israel was mulling military options vis-à-vis the Islamic republic – said, "Yes, it is an option. We will not allow Iran to produce or obtain nuclear weapons. If it were the last possible way to stop this, we would act militarily."
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The comments were reportedly made on the sidelines of a foreign policy conference in Rome. They came just hours after Iran announced its ready to unveil a "new generation" of nuclear-related "products," including new centrifuge systems and a heavy water power plant scheduled to be built by the spring of 2020.
Katz further admonished European leaders for not taking a more aggressive stand against Iran over its repeated, escalating violations of the 2015 nuclear deal.
"As long as the Iranians delude themselves into thinking they have Europe's backing, it will be more difficult for them to back down," Katz said.
On Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif accused Israel of holding "a nuclear missile test aimed at Iran."
"Israel today tested a nuke-missile, aimed at Iran," Zarif said on Twitter, adding that the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom "never complain about the only nuclear arsenal in West Asia – armed with missiles actually DESIGNED to be capable of carrying nukes – but has fits of apoplexy over our conventional & defensive ones."
Israel today tested a nuke-missile, aimed at Iran.
E3 & US never complain about the only nuclear arsenal in West Asia—armed with missiles actually DESIGNED to be capable of carrying nukes—but has fits of apoplexy over our conventional & defensive ones. https://t.co/r4EqXkhcCN
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) December 6, 2019
The Israeli defense establishment successfully tested a rocket propulsion system on Friday.
Defense officials stressed that the test was planned in advance and carried out as planned.
