PM Bennett: Israel Is Diplomatic About Nuclear Program, But Has The Right To Defend Itself And Act Against Iran

PM Israel Naftali Bennett. (Wikimedia Commons/Spokesperson unit of the President of Israel/Kobi Gideon)

JAKARTA - Israel has confirmed to the United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog that it has voted for a diplomatic resolution to the impasse on Iran's nuclear program, but can take independent action in self-defense.

This statement to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi follows Western calls on the IAEA Board of Governors to rebuke Tehran for failing to answer questions about the uranium footprint at the unannounced site.

The dispute further clouded negotiators' fruitless efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal abandoned by former US President Donald Trump in 2018.

Since Washington's legacy, Iran, which says its nuclear design is peaceful, has stepped up uranium enrichment, a process that could produce fuel for bombs.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett "emphasized (to Grossi) the importance of the IAEA Board of Governors delivering a clear and unequivocal message to Iran in its forthcoming decisions", a statement from Bennett's office said.

"While it prefers diplomacy to deny Iran the possibility of developing nuclear weapons, Israel reserves the right to defend itself and act against Iran to give up its nuclear program, if the international community fails to do so within the relevant timeframe," the statement read.

In this regard, there was no immediate comment from the Office of the Head of the IAEA.

Israel's sophisticated military, widely regarded as possessing nuclear weapons, this week hinted at strategic reach, publicly announcing an air force strike exercise over the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the deployment of a rare naval submarine to the Red Sea.

But some security analysts question whether Israel has the conventional power to inflict lasting damage on Tehran's far-flung, scattered and well-defended nuclear facilities. Or to contend with multi-front battles with Iranian forces and guerrilla allies that could follow.