Daijiworld Media Network - Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Jun 20: Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar on Friday defended his country’s military strikes on Iran, stating that the regime in Tehran poses an unparalleled threat due to its radical ideology and pursuit of nuclear weapons.

In a sharp comparison with other nuclear-armed nations, Azar said, “Countries with nuclear capability don’t pose the same threat as Iran, because they don't harbour extremist ideologies or openly threaten annihilation.”

Speaking to PTI Videos, he added, “Israel has never threatened any country with destruction. We have stated clearly we will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East.”

Azar reiterated that Israel acted in self-defence, citing “conclusive evidence” of Iran’s clandestine nuclear activities aimed at building weapons of mass destruction. “We acted at the last possible moment to dismantle Iran’s plan for our extermination. The IAEA just last week confirmed Iran’s non-compliance with the NPT safeguard agreement,” he said.

He expressed deep concern over Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, saying it had no peaceful justification and was moving toward weaponization. “A regime that has vowed to destroy Israel cannot be allowed to build nuclear weapons,” Azar said.

Besides the nuclear threat, Azar raised alarms over Iran’s growing ballistic missile arsenal. “Iran is capable of producing 20,000 missiles in six years—each capable of carrying massive warheads,” he warned.

The Ambassador expressed gratitude to the United States for its support but clarified that Israel does not expect the US to fight its battles. “We defend ourselves. American assistance helps us stand strong, but we are not asking others to fight our wars,” he said.

He also said that Israel finds more alignment in worldview with the Trump administration, especially in its handling of the Iran crisis. “We’ve worked with all US administrations, but our perspective is more aligned with President Trump’s approach to Iran,” Azar noted.

The remarks come amid an intensifying military conflict between Israel and Iran, which escalated on June 13 after Israeli airstrikes in Tehran. The White House has said President Trump will decide within two weeks whether the US will join the conflict.

Azar concluded, “We hope countries recognise that this is not merely a regional clash, but a test of global resolve against regimes that threaten peace under the guise of ideology.”