Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday said that he had agreed with US President Joe Biden on Israel having full freedom to act as it sees fit to prevent the possibility of Iran becoming a nuclear threat.
Lapid stressed that it was too early to determine whether Israel had succeeded in stopping the nuclear agreement with Iran. However, the prime minister said that his country was prepared to face all threats and scenarios.
US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides had revealed earlier that the White House reassured Israel that it will never stop it from protecting itself against Iran.
Lapid, who was on a visit to the Nevatim airbase in southern Israel, which houses the Israeli Air Force’s fleet of advanced F-35 fighter jets, also issued a warning to Iran.
“If Iran continues to test us, it will discover Israel’s long arm and capabilities. We will continue to act on all fronts against terrorism and against those who seek to harm us,” he said.
“As [US] President [Joe] Biden and I agreed, Israel has full freedom to act as we see fit to prevent the possibility of Iran becoming a nuclear threat,” Lapid added.
“It is still too early to know if we have indeed succeeded in stopping the nuclear agreement, but Israel is prepared for every threat and every scenario,” Lapid said in a brief statement in front of an F-35.
According to the government’s official website, Lapid heard a security briefing from Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar and the 140th 'Golden Eagle' Squadron (F-35) Commander.
Lapid also visited the 140th Squadron's operations building.
The prime minister’s statements come at a time when Mossad Director David Barnea held a series of talks with US officials in Washington to get the Biden administration to change its stance on re-entering the nuclear agreement with Iran and lifting sanctions imposed on it.
Barnea is the third Israeli official to visit Washington as part of a diplomatic campaign against Iran.
Israel has vowed not to allow Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon and has repeatedly announced preparations for military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Israel’s behavior comes in reaction to Iranian officials making statements on wiping out the Jewish state.
