Iran must be stopped from obtaining a nuclear weapon, with or without a deal in Vienna, President Isaac Herzog said on Wednesday at the Israel Air Force’s 183th flight course graduation ceremony.
“Iran is a ticking time bomb that threatens Israel and the whole Middle East,” he said. “This matter is a point of agreement in Israel’s society and leadership.
“I am following the negotiations around the nuclear deal, and I call on the international community not to be led astray and not to underestimate the gravity of the threat.
“The Iranian nuclear threat must be neutralized once and for all, with or without an agreement. Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who is visiting Israel, and said that the strong relationship between Israel and the US allows the sides to “talk openly and candidly about all the shared challenges that we’re facing.
“These days are pretty important,” Bennett said. “What happens in Vienna has profound ramifications for the stability of the Middle East and the security of Israel for the upcoming years. And that’s why it’s such a timely meeting.”