Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hengbi stated on Friday that Tel Aviv is not close to launching an attack on Iranian nuclear sites, as discussions between Tehran and Washington seek to ease tensions. Hengbi noted that it is still unclear what the outcome will be of the talks initiated by the United States with Iran in recent weeks, aimed at outlining steps that could limit Tehran's nuclear program and defuse tensions.
In an interview with Channel 13, Hengbi remarked that any agreement would not be binding for Israel, which views a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat. When questioned about how close Israel is to deciding on a preemptive strike against Iran, he responded: "We are not getting close to this because the Iranians have stopped, for some time now, and they are not enriching uranium to the level that we see as the red line."
He added, "But this could happen. Therefore, we are preparing for that moment, if it comes, and we will have to defend the people of Israel against a fanatical regime that seeks to exterminate us and is armed with weapons of mass destruction." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defined the "red line" as the point at which Iranian uranium enrichment reaches a purity level of 90%, suitable for fissile use, while Iran has been enriching uranium to a purity level of 60% in recent years.
Following the failure to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement that curtailed Iran's uranium enrichment to 3.67%, Iranian and Western officials have convened to outline steps that could limit Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear activities.
