Ya'alon: A stronger Iran means a stronger Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad

Defense minister meets Canadian counterpart as he takes effort to warn against "bad deal" on Iran's nuclear program abroad.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Ya'alon in Canada 370 (photo credit: Ariel Hermoni, Defense Ministry)
Ya'alon in Canada 370
(photo credit: Ariel Hermoni, Defense Ministry)
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon met his Canadian counterpart Robert Nicholson in Ottawa on Thursday, expressing appreciation for the cooperation between the two governments and warning against Iran’s hegemonic designs.
Ya’alon stated that the Iranian regime “is involved in every conflict in the Middle East and has also set up terror bases in Africa, Asia and South America. They want to defeat Western culture, and are prepared to sacrifice to achieve this.”
He added: “The Iranians want, under the cover of the nuclear umbrella that they will have, to advance their terror activities, such as using a ‘dirty bomb’ at various targets in the Western world. Therefore, we must not tolerate the possibility of a nuclear Iran. One way or another, Iran’s military nuclear project must be stopped.”
The defense minister called for a continuation of the sanctions regime against the Islamic Republic and the existence of a credible military threat.
Ya’alon warned that if sanctions were eased at this stage, countries and companies would renew relations with Iran, removing the economic pressure on Tehran.
The defense minister continued Israel’s recent lobbying efforts against signing an interim agreement with Iran at ongoing nuclear talks in Geneva that would ease sanctions without ensuring that Iran was sufficiently curbing its nuclear program.
“We stand before the signing of a bad deal with Iran, which will allow the regime in Tehran to preserve its [uranium] enrichment capabilities and operate without pressure,” he warned.
“If Iran gets stronger, Hezbollah and the Islamic Jihad will get stronger. These are forces that will challenge both the West and us,” Ya’alon added.
“I am proud to say that Canada and Israel enjoy close military relations at all levels. The strong ties between Canada and Israel are based on our shared values, including democracy and the rule of law. Our cooperation in terms of defense is continually improving, and I am confident that we will find avenues to expand our defense relations even further in the near future.”