Israel warns Iran is developing nuclear missiles to hit US, Europe

Israeli consul general in New York declares Iran the new “evil empire,” warning that Tehran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles threatens not only Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran’s efforts to develop long-range ballistic missiles, coupled with the regime’s aspirations to acquire nuclear weapons, reflect plans to target not only regional rivals such as Israel, an Israeli diplomat warned over the weekend, but also suggest Tehran is seeking the ability to strike Europe and the United States.

On Sunday, Israel’s consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, said in an interview with Newsmax that Iran has become the new “evil empire,” referencing Ronald Reagan’s description of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Akunis said that Iran’s existing ballistic missile arsenal can already reach anywhere in the Middle East, including Israel, and that the regime’s attempts to develop intercontinental missiles signal that it plans to target countries outside of the region.

“The Iranian regime, the evil empire, the ayatollahs want to keep their nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles. Why? They want, in the future, to use them to target Europe and the United States,” said Akunis.

“The Western world needs to know that the ayatollahs cannot hold the nuclear weapon or the intercontinental missiles in the future.”

Speaking after senior Iranian officials said Tehran would not compromise either on its demand to retain the right to develop ballistic missiles or on its uranium enrichment efforts, Akunis expressed skepticism that the negotiations launched in Oman on Friday could ever be successful.

“They are saying, OK, we want to keep the missiles and the nuclear weapons,” Akunis said. “So what is the negotiation for? It’s a question.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that Iran is “not scared” of the US military buildup in the region and that Tehran will not give in to American demands to halt uranium enrichment.

“Why do we insist so much on enrichment and refuse to give it up, even if a war is imposed on us? Because no one has the right to dictate our behavior,” Araghchi said.