Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday slammed International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi for saying attacks on nuclear facilities are “outlawed.”
Israel has a history of launching covert attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities, and Netanyahu has been threatening to take more overt action. US officials have also said President Biden will keep a military option on the table to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon even though the Pentagon and CIA recently acknowledged Tehran is not seeking a bomb.
Grossi just returned from a visit to Iran, where he secured a pledge for the IAEA to receive more access to Iranian nuclear facilities. When asked about the US and Israeli threats, Grossi said that “any military attack on a nuclear facility is outlawed, is out of the normative structures that we all abide by.”
Netanyahu called the remarks “unworthy” in comments at a cabinet meeting. “Rafael Grossi is a worthy person who made an unworthy remark,” Netanyahu said. “Outlawed by what law? Is Iran, which publicly calls for our extermination, allowed to protect its weapons of destruction that will slaughter us?”
Often missing from the conversation about Iran’s nuclear program is the fact that Israel has a secret nuclear arsenal that is not subject to any inspections. The US doesn’t acknowledge the existence of Israel’s arsenal and doesn’t pressure Israel to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Netanyahu’s threats against Iran have increased in recent weeks, and the US has made clear it has Israel’s back. Tom Nides, the US ambassador to Israel, said in February that Israel “can and should do whatever they need” against Iran and that the US has “got their back.” The comments came a few weeks after an Israeli drone attack hit a facility in the Iranian city of Isfahan.
Wars get started this way…
I remember way back when I had a romantic image of Israel as a haven and democratic society. That was oh, 50 years ago. Iran is suspended between Russia and China as allies, but these have other problems (caused by US) now, so as Netanyahu says “window is closing” — now is the best time to deal a body blow to Iran. Question: if Israel is successful, what happens subsequently? who will govern the approximately 90 million Shia population? This reads like Gaddafi or Hussein…or…you name it, all over again.
Netanyahu Needs to put up or shut up. Israel isn’t even part of the NPT, unlike Iran, so his opinion is unworthy.
So, I guess Israeli nukes are fair game. Bibi said so.
US officials Living in LaLa Land…!
Hopefully neither Trump or Biden will win in 2024, but if one does, there will be no change in US/Israel foreign policy and the big give away program in Wash. to continue the genocide of the Palestinian people. Does anyone think the war in Ukraine is linked to this program? I do. And, it all has its roots in the dirt we’re not allowed to see.
This is the ongoing problem with the US Duopoly – nothing ever changes while either side wins Presidential elections.
No thanks to the US electoral system which desperately requires an update as it’s more backward than a windows 95 operating system.
It’s against the law to blow someplace up? When did that happen? And who is Grossi to decide people can’t blow up what they want? He ever hear of Nord Stream? I swear, these fancy UN people with their “international law” think they know it all.
Outlawed?
The predictable hypocrisy of the sadistic Israeli apartheid regime is that they do not recognize international law e.i. they denied the ICC to conduct an investigation in regards to a seriously long list of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the IDF.
They claimed to investigate their own and found absolutely nothing wrong which is what fascist do.
Don’t you dare to investigate our war crimes……or else.
The fascist have to be pretty scared of the ICC actually finding something – They have to be prevented from investigating them.
First it was the head lobbing Saudies who conveniently happened to have been placed in charge of a key human rights panel at the UN who after being Accused of War Crimes, Saudis Investigate Themselves and Find No Wrongdoing
Course they found nothing wrong – if they did their heads would roll.
Bolton is also scared that the ICC actually finding something and has threatened the ICC to the extend that a judge resigned.
The Israeli military also claims that it can investigate its own war crimes and tells the ICC to butt off.
Top IDF lawyer tells The Hague to back off, says Israel can probe own alleged war crimes [RT]
Really?
After 70 years of ethnic cleansing The Palestinians are painting an entirely different picture with a lot of red.
Imagine how holocoast survivors would respond to the Nazi’s investigating their own war crimes.
What’s wrong with these complete and utter morons – do they honestly believe that no one will notice the obvious conflict of interests that arises for investigating their own war crimes instead of an organisation such as the ICC toothless as it appears to be.
Pretty amazing that after all those corruption charges Bibi was allowed to return into the world of politics when history reveals a sadistic and cruel little man with no respect for humanity or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Julian Assange is rotting in jail for skipping bail while a known career war criminal returns to politics and orders another round of crimes against humanity with the ease of someone ordering a cold beverage from a sidewalk cafe.
Free Assange and continue the BDS provided this is done properly there won’t be many items left that we can purchase so go to your local farmers markets instead.
Thousands of people are protesting against Nethanyahu’s power grab May 7 2023
Changed’ Netanyahu’s power grab has Israel at breaking point [SMH]