Netanyahu blasts Iran’s foreign minister for attacking Israel and Saudi Arabia

“This is the foreign minister of a country that sends armed UAVs against Israel and missiles at Saudi Arabia,” Netanyahu said.

By: World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Iran as violator of international law and an instigator of regional violence, responding to similar accusations leveled by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif against Israel.

Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman on Sunday attended a toast with IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot and the General Staff Forum to celebrate Israel’s 70th Independence Day, during which he responded to the remarks of the Iranian Foreign Minister who accused Israel of violating international law.

“This is the foreign minister of a country that sends armed UAVs against Israel and missiles at Saudi Arabia,” Netanyahu said.

He was referring to an incident in February in which Iran flew a drone from Syria towards Israel which was intercepted by the Israel Air Force, and Iran’s support and armament of Houthi rebels fighting in the Yemen civil war against a Saudi-led coalition.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have been steadily escalating since Israel shot down the drone. The drone, which the IDF found had been weaponized, was on an offensive mission.

“I also heard his moderate remarks, and there is a tremendous gap between his words and the actions of the Revolutionary Guards which are moving an army against Israel with the avowed goal of destroying the State of Israel. I am not impressed by words,” Netanyahu declared.

Netanyahu was responding to Zarif’s Sunday interview on CBS’s Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan in which he was asked about the possibility of a regional war following Israel’s actions to prevent Iran’s military buildup in Syria, on its border.

Israel considers Iranian military bases in Syria a “red line,” and has repeatedly said it will fight to prevent Iran’s military buildup and spread inside Syria.

“I do not believe that we are headed towards regional war,” Zarif answered, “but I do believe that unfortunately, Israel has continued its violations of international law, hoping to be able to do it with impunity because of the US support and trying to find smokescreens to hide behind. And I do not believe that the smokescreens work anymore.”

He then threatened that Israel should “expect that if they continue to violate territorial integrity of other states, there’ll be consequences. The easiest answer would be to stop – to stop these acts of aggression, to stop these incursions.”

Responding to the threat while addressing the IDF General Staff, Netanyahu stated that he relies “on this forum and on the Israel Defense Forces which are prepared for any possibility and any scenario. I raise a glass to the State of Israel and the IDF.”

Israel is bracing for a wider clash with Tehran, and Israel’s security forces are on high alert in anticipation of a possible revenge attack by Iran following an attack on the Syrian T4 Military Airbase, located in the Homs province, which was struck by several missiles earlier this month, leaving at least seven Iranian soldiers dead.

The Russian Defense Ministry blamed Israel for the attack. It said that two Israel Air Force (IAF) F-15 jets fired the missile at the Syrian airbase from Lebanese airspace.

Fuming over the strike, Iran has vowed to exact vengeance on Israel.

The T4 Air Airbase, Syria’s largest, is home to Iranian forces, the Lebanese Hezbollah terror organization and Syrian regime forces.