Netanyahu rejects Grossi’s remarks over possible attack on Iran, says Israel ‘permitted’ to defend itself

A day after the UN nuclear watchdog chief said that any military attack on a nuclear facility was illegal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu termed remarks by Raphael Grossi as "unworthy".

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Grossi, who was on a two-day visit to Iran, after meetings with Iranian officials, said in a press conference on Saturday that any military attack on a nuclear facility is an outlaw.

While denouncing Grossi's remarks, Israel, Iran's regional archrival, asserted that the country is "permitted" to defend itself.Speaking with his cabinet in televised remarks on Sunday, Netanyahu stated, "Rafael Grossi is a worthy person who made an unworthy remark."

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"Outside what law? Is it permissible for Iran, which openly calls for our destruction, to organise the tools of slaughter for our destruction? Are we forbidden from defending ourselves? We are obviously permitted to do this."

Tel Aviv has been calling out Europe and the United States for a firm stance against Iran in view of its nuclear programme advances.

Israel was also accused of launching attacks on Iranian nuclear and military facilities. A power failure occurred at Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment site in April 2021 following an explosion at the facility. Iranian officials at the time blamed Israel for it.

Tehran also accused Israel of killing its top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh using a remote-controlled weapon.Rafael Grossi was in Iran for a two-day visit to hold discussions in an effort to persuade the nation to assist with an investigation into uranium traces discovered at undeclared sites.

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“I think any attack, any military attack on a nuclear facility is outlaw, is out of the normative structures that we all abide by," Grossi had said on Saturday.

“We certainly hope that we are going to be able to protect the nuclear power plant which is under threat now, which is [Ukraine’s] Zaporizhzhia,” Grossi said. “But this is valid and applicable to every nuclear facility in the world.”

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According to a classified IAEA assessment obtained by AFP this week, uranium particles up to 83.7 per cent enriched — just under the 90% needed to create an atomic bomb — had been found at Iran's subterranean Fordo site around 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the capital.

(With inputs from agencies)


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