With tensions escalating amid the recent entry of the US into Iran-Israel conflict, Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, spoke exclusive with The Sunday Guardian on Tuesday and talked about Israel’s stance on the escalating conflict with Iran, its objectives in the ongoing war, and the recent American bombing of key Iranian nuclear facilities. Ambassador Azar discussed the broader implications of these developments and Israel’s goals, which, he insists, have remained centered on preventing Iran’s nuclear weapons program from threatening Israel’s existence. Excerpts:
A Historic Moment in the Middle East?
Reacting to the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities last week, Ambassador Azar described the attack as “historic.” He stressed that the coordinated strike with the United States was a significant step towards neutralising what Israel says is the “existential threat” posed by Iran. “We describe it as historic because of several reasons. First, not only have we finally gotten to the plans of Iran to exterminate us and taken care of it with the help of the United States, but also this is a very important sign for the international community,” Azar said.
“When you have a country like Iran that has been for decades not only trying to destroy the state of Israel and sworn to destroy the state of Israel, but deceiving the entire international community with clandestine and undeclared nuclear activities,” Azar remarked, while also asserting that the US-Israel operation indeed impacted Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
What Is Israel Seeking to Achieve Through Attacks on Iran?
Speaking on Israel’s objectives in the conflict, Azar revealed that Israel’s primary goal is to neutralise Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. “We have two main goals in this campaign: to neutralise the nuclear threat of extermination of our state by a country that has sworn to destroy us, and to destroy the ballistic missile program,” he told The Sunday Guardian.
Furthermore, responding to a question on whether Israel is seeking a regime change in Iran, Azar said, “We are seeking a situation in which the conditions will be ripe for a diplomatic solution, adding, “And we hope that the Iranians will come to the table. And this time, they will take the United States and the rest of the international community much more seriously.”
Timing and Strategy of the Israeli Attacks on Iran: Why Now?
The Israeli ambassador also elaborated on the timing of the attack, explaining that the decision was driven by critical intelligence. “We had information that since we succeeded in defeating Hezbollah, and since the defeat of Hezbollah has caused a change of regime in Syria, the Iranian regime changed its policy and decided to run into building a nuclear device,” Azar insisted, while suggesting that Israel “could not afford” to wait for Iran to achieve nuclear deterrence, which in turn would have allowed the regime to “threaten Israel’s existence” and deter international response.
Are Iran’s Nuclear Capabilities Degraded?
Ambassador Azar also discussed the ongoing Israeli operations aimed at degrading Iran’s nuclear program, and said, “What we have been doing is a huge degradation of their military nuclear program,” while outlining Israel’s “systemic efforts”, which included targeting key nuclear installations, converting plants and dismantling Iran’s nuclear operations.
Confirming that the US involvement had significantly aided these efforts, he further cited the strategic use of MOAB bombs to ensure the “complete destruction” of critical Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
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The Challenge of Enriched Uranium
He, however, also expressed concerns over Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, which analysts fear could potentially be used to create dirty bombs or radiological dispersal devices (RDDs). “The challenge is not over,” he said, while also exuding confidence in Israel’s intelligence capabilities to track and expose Iran’s future nuclear activities. “I believe in our capability to expose whatever they’re planning to do in the future,” he concluded.
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