Mossad chief says Israel not part of Iran nuke deal, has right to defend itself
'We cannot sit quietly and just watch as the danger grows closer'
Mossad director David Barnea on Thursday criticized the United States for “rushing into an agreement that is a complete lie,” referring to the revivial of the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, and said that Israel has a right to defend itself.
As Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid is set to speak to US President Joe Biden about the Iranian deal today, several private meetings were held with governmental officials. Speaking at one of them Barnea, who took his post last June, said that Tehran’s willingness to sign the deal “does not change Iran’s long-term desire to obtain a nuclear weapon," which Israel is trying to prevent.
“Israel is not signed on to the deal. Israel is permitted to defend itself any way possible - and will act this way. We cannot sit quietly and just watch as the danger grows closer,” said Barnea, adding that the emerging deal would only “increase the danger” to Israel and the entire world much more than the original 2015 deal that former US president Donald Trump pulled out from in 2018.
However, the Mossad chief bielieves that the deal is inevitable as it’s in America’s interests but warned that for Iran it would mean that “the time to make a bomb will be postponed from a month to tow of three” and Israel needs to defend itself.
Lapid has also repeatedly criticized the agreement saying "it is a bad deal" and stating that it will give Iran billions of dollars that could go on funding not only its nuclear program but also to its proxies, including Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, that are threatening Israel's security.