Iran denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow to 'finish the job' against the nation on Monday (Feb 17), calling it a breach of the UN Charter.

Advertisment

"Threatening others is both a gross violation of international law and the United Nations Charter," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday (Feb 17), insisting that Israel "can't do a thing" against Iran.

Also read: ‘Gates of hell will be opened’: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warns Hamas on hostage release

Netanyahu made the comments on Sunday while speaking alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in Israel on his first official visit since taking office.

Advertisment

“Over the last 16 months, Israel has dealt a mighty blow to Iran’s terror axis. Under the strong leadership of President Trump… I have no doubt that we can and will finish the job,” Netanyahu said, referring to conflicts with Iran-backed groups such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Rubio: ‘There can never be a nuclear Iran’

Rubio echoed Netanyahu’s stance, saying that Iran is behind various militant activities in the region.

Advertisment

"It’s important to constantly point out that whether we talk about Hamas, Hezbollah, violence in the West Bank, instability in Syria, or the militias in Iraq, they all have one common factor – Iran. That must be addressed," Rubio said.

Also read: ‘There can never be nuclear Iran’: Netanyahu, Rubio discuss Hamas, Trump’s Gaza plan, and Tehran’s ‘aggression’

The comments come as US President Donald Trump reinstates his "maximum pressure" strategy against Iran, similar to his approach during his first term. This policy led to the US withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear agreement, accusing Iran of secretly working towards nuclear weapons.

Iran has denied these accusations but has reduced its commitments under the deal, increasing uranium enrichment to 60 per cent.

Saudi Arabia seeks to mediate

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is looking to mediate between the Trump administration and Iran to negotiate a new nuclear agreement, according to a CNN report.

Also read: 'Serious regression': China slams US for dropping wording on not supporting 'Taiwan independence'

Saudi officials reportedly fear that Iran could move closer to developing nuclear weapons, particularly as its regional allies, which previously acted as a buffer against Israeli attacks, have weakened.

(With inputs from agencies)