Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that the Jewish state is bracing for a possible military conflict between Iran and the United States.
“It should be taken into account that mistaken calculations by the [Iranian] regime ... are liable to bring about a shift from the ‘gray zone’ to the ‘red zone’—that is, a military conflagration,” he remarked in a speech at the annual Herzliya Conference. “We must be prepared for this, and thus the State of Israel continues to devote itself to building up its military might for the event that it will have to respond to escalation scenarios.”
On Israel’s army Radio, Katz said that “Iran has no chance in this war. Therefore, there is an opportunity there, through the tough economic pressure and the comprehensive sanctions, to prevent war, to achieve the objectives without war.”
Katz’s remarks preceded those of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who warned European allies on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic will “take the next step” and increase its uranium enrichment “in any amount that we want, any amount that is required, we will take over 3.67,” referring to the percentage of enriched uranium allowed under the 2015 nuclear deal.
The United States withdrew from the deal in May 2018, reimposing sanctions lifted under it, along with enacting new penalties against Tehran.
“Our advice to Europe and the United States is to go back to logic and to the negotiating table,” added Rouhani. “Go back to understanding, to respecting the law and resolutions of the U.N. Security Council. Under those conditions, all of us can abide by the nuclear deal.”
U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 adopted the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and consists of snapback sanctions on the regime if it violates the accord.
