Israel Responds to Reports of Potential Attack on Iran

Israel seeks to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but is ready to resolve the issue through diplomatic means. This was stated by Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in an interview with the Telegraph.

Responding to a question regarding a New York Times article that claimed Israel had planned to attack Iran as early as May, Sa'ar denied that Israeli authorities had made such a decision. “I am a member of the security cabinet and all closed forums, and I do not recall such a decision. I do not believe that such a decision was made. However, Israel remains committed to the goal of preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons. If this goal can be achieved diplomatically, that is acceptable,” the newspaper quoted Sa'ar as saying.

The politician also emphasized that Israeli authorities maintain communication with the U.S. and Europe regarding Iran's nuclear weapons. “Iran has always taken its international obligations unseriously. I do not rule out that they will try to obtain some partial agreements to avoid reaching a necessary solution regarding nuclear weapons. Iran is in a weak position, and this should be used to achieve the goal,” added Sa'ar.

Earlier, the New York Times reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had not allowed Israel to attack Iran's nuclear facilities in May. Israeli officials were allegedly prepared to strike Iranian nuclear sites in May and expected U.S. support.