BRISBANE, May 27 : Israel could resume military action against Iran if diplomacy with Tehran fails to meet core objectives, Israel’s ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman told Iran International in an interview.
According to Newman, Israel supported talks between the US and Iran, but only if they removed what he described as existential threats from the Islamic Republic.
“We’re in favour… of talks as long as they attain the objectives. We cannot compromise on the objectives,” Newman said.
“As I said, the objectives are removal of the nuclear capability, zero enrichment, zero enriched uranium in Iran,” he added. “Also, the fact of the ballistic missiles and stopping their support of the proxies which cause unrest in the entire Middle East.”
Newman said Jerusalem was prepared to accept a diplomatic outcome, provided it achieved those aims.
“If we can attain it through negotiations and diplomatic discussions, fine. If not, we might have to go back to the military campaign in order to attain the objectives, but the objectives must be attained,” he said.
The remarks come as US-Iran talks continue over a possible agreement to end the conflict, with Tehran and Washington still divided over Iran’s highly enriched uranium, sanctions relief, frozen assets and the Strait of Hormuz.
Asked whether Israel would act independently if negotiations produced a ceasefire, Newman said Israel was already giving diplomacy a chance.
“We’re actually now in a kind of a ceasefire which we have declared and accepted because we’re giving a good opportunity in good faith for the discussions, for the diplomatic resolution of the issue,” he said.
Newman said Israel had confidence in US President Donald Trump and described coordination between Washington and Israel as “unprecedented.”
“We have trust, we have confidence in President Trump. We work together closely. There’s coordination,” he said.
He also said any agreement affecting Lebanon would depend on conditions, including whether Iran-backed Hezbollah retreats north of the Litani River.
“We just have to make sure that the Hezbollah terrorists are not launching rockets against Israel and as much as possible not armed and present in the southern part of Lebanon beyond the south of the Litani River,” Newman said. “That’s all we want. We don’t want any territorial aspirations in Lebanon.”
Newman, clarifying the Israeli stance said that Jerusalem drew a distinction between the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people, adding that by weakening its powerful paramilitary outfits like the IRGC, and its subunits like the Basij militia, along with the ruling establishment could create “a new opportunity” for the people of Iran.
“In the end, the people of Iran must take their destiny into their own hands,” he said. “By weakening the Basij forces and by weakening the IRGC, by weakening the regime itself, we are opening perhaps a new opportunity for the people of Iran.”
During the Iran war, Israel targeted not only senior commanders and strategic military sites but also checkpoints and street-level security units. (UNI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
