Any Israeli Move Will Get a Strong Response: Iran Warns

Iran has sharply criticized Israel ahead of an expected meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump on Monday evening in Florida.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stressed during his weekly press conference that his country is monitoring Israel’s movements and is increasing its preparations.

He added that any new provocation will be met with a response much harsher than the one during the 12-day war.

He also said that the Israeli side is using various pretexts to create an atmosphere of hostility against Iran. Netanyahu’s actions have made the United States appear as if it is the center of regional destabilization planning. He added that American officials should correct this impression.

Regarding relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he said that Iran is a member and contacts between the two sides are ongoing.

However, he made it clear that the issue needs to be discussed and negotiated in order to develop a new mechanism for cooperation with the agency. The remarks came amid Israeli expectations that Netanyahu will try to persuade Trump to launch a joint US-Israeli strike to curb Iran’s ballistic missile program.

These statements also come at a time when inspections of nuclear facilities by the Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are still on hold because Tehran has suspended cooperation in this area and passed a law that makes any cooperation with the agency subject to approval by the Supreme National Security Council.