Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Sunday that Israel would not stand idly by while Iran tries to attack it, and called on the international community to restore the “full force” of economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, according to a statement released by his office.
The comments come a day after the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had begun using advanced centrifuges at its underground Fordow facility to enrich uranium.
Lapid emphasized that Israel would “not stand idly by while Iran tries to attack us,” adding, “Our security services know how to reach anyone, anywhere—and they will do just that. We will discuss with [U.S.] President [Joe Biden] and his team expanding security cooperation against all threats.”
The American leader is scheduled to arrive in the Middle East this week, for a visit which will see him travel to Israel and Saudi Arabia, with a stop in Bethlehem to meet with Palestinian officials.
While Iran is required to update the IAEA if it moves to produce more highly enriched uranium, the agency’s report warned that if Tehran “chose not to, it might escape detection for some time as there is currently a lag between Iran’s enrichment and IAEA inspectors’ verification of what is produced.”
In response, Israel’s former military intelligence head, Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Heiman, told 103 FM on Sunday that, “In Fordow there are advanced centrifuges, and a rapid ability to move between different enrichment states. While this means that by tomorrow morning the Iranians can enrich to the military level of 90%, this does not mean that they have a bomb, and it still does not mean that it is too late. This can still be delayed.”