‘Infamous liar’: Iran blasts Netanyahu for claims Tehran had nuclear weapons program

1 May, 2018

Calling the Israeli premier “an infamous liar” and head of a “child-killing Zionist regime,” Iran has furiously denounced an elaborate presentation by Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons.

In a statement Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry blasted Monday’s claims by a “broke and infamous liar who has had nothing to offer except lies and deceits.” It accused Israel of “using battered charlatanism” and viewing others as a threat to justify the existence of their “illegal regime.”

“Netanyahu and the notorious, child-killing Zionist regime must have reached the basic understanding that the people of the world have enough awareness and cognizance,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bahram Qassemi,

In a series of tweets, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also ridiculed Netanyahu’s accusations, noting the “coordinated timing of alleged intelligence revelations by the boy who cries wolf just days before May 12.” On that day President Donald Trump is expected to decide whether the US should stay in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal inked by five world powers as well as Iran.

Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu presented a massive bookcase filled with folders, claiming they contained top-secret files on Iran’s nuclear program he dubbed Project Amad.

The Israeli premier went through his presentation on big screens, showing PowerPoint slides of what he said was incriminating evidence of Tehran violating the terms of the nuclear deal.

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The US, which has been quick to backup Bibi’s claims, said it proved that Iran had a “clandestine” nuclear program. And given the recent “bromance” between French leader Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump it appears less surprising that France has also said it proved what the EU “revealed” in 2002.

Netanyahu’s allegations, however, were met with a skeptical response from Berlin. Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for the German government, said that while “the international community had doubts” about Iran’s compliance, it was crucial that they implement “an unprecedented, thorough and robust surveillance system.”

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, noted that the deal was put in place “exactly because there was no trust between the parties, otherwise we would not have required a nuclear deal to be put in place.” She also stated that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responsible for verifying Iran’s compliance with the deal.

The IAEA, meanwhile, refused to comment on Netanyahu’s accusations. “It is not the practice of the IAEA to publicly discuss issues related to any such information,” a spokesman for the UN-run nuclear watchdog said, according to Reuters.

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Analysts told RT that Israel has no right to comment on Iran’s nuclear activities as the Jewish state is not party to a non-proliferation agreement. Netanyahu and Israel “are in no position to accuse Iran of anything, they’re not part of the nuclear deal, they’re not even a member of the [Nuclear Proliferation Treaty],” Hamed Mousavi, Professor of political science at the University of Tehran, told RT.

“And we have to remember that Israel is the only regime in the region that actually has nuclear weapons,” he concluded.

Published at https://www.rt.com/news/425566-iran-netanyahu-presentation-response/