The Iranian foreign minister says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is lying about Iran's nuclear program.
Mohammad Javad Zarif said: “We have seen nothing from Netanyahu but lies and actions to deceive and scare, and international public opinion will not let these lies go unanswered.”
Zarif added: “For 22 years, the Zionist regime has been lying by repeating endlessly that Iran will have the atomic bomb in six months. After all these years, the world must understand the reality of these lies and not allow them to be repeated.”
The Israeli government has been attacking the Iranian government’s recent efforts to initiate nuclear talks and resolve its disputes with the world powers. Netanyahu has referred to the Iranian president’s speech as “a charm attack” and has been hard at work pressing the U.S. president to forge ahead with sanctions on Iran while keeping military threats against Iran on the table.
On Monday, after meeting with Netanyahu, Barack Obama announced once again that all options regarding Iran were still on the table.
Zarif has responded that “President Obama needs consistency to promote mutual confidence. Flip-flopping destroys trust and undermines U.S. credibility.”
Last Friday, the U.S. president placed a phone call to Iranian President Hassan Rohani in New York. Their conversation, which was the first-ever direct contact between presidents of the two countries, was assessed as amicable and constructive by both sides.
