Netanyahu: We unveiled other secret sites for nuclear weapons development in Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed two other secret nuclear sites in Iran on Monday evening.

In a dramatic statement on the Iranian nuclear issued from the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, the prime minister said inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found nuclear material in a facility near Tehran that the UN revealed last year.

“The Iranians claimed that it was a carpet cleaning plant. I called on the IAEA to immediately inspect the facility in Turkuzabad. Today, I inform you that the inspectors found uranium, nuclear material, that Iran was hiding there against its international obligations. This is the most serious breach of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. ”

According to Netanyahu, the IAEA director-general told him that he did not receive cooperation from Iran, which did everything to hide the materials. “Before our exposure, we see the containers in which they hid equipment and nuclear material,” he explained.

Pointing to satellite images of the site, Netanyahu said Israel uncovered its existence a year ago in nuclear archives smuggled out of Iran. Iran then destroyed the site in order to cover its tracks.

The prime minister presented the photos and described: “Here is the facility after our exposure – they removed and destroyed the containers, and they covered the site with gravel. This is what is called real coverage. It did not help them because they left impurities of nuclear material.”

“This is what I have to say to the tyrants of Tehran: Israel knows what you’re doing, Israel knows when you’re doing it and Israel knows where you’re doing it. We will continue to expose your lies. What we see is a consistent pattern of Iranian lies, deception and violations.” he said and added, “I call on the international community to wake up, to realize that Iran is systematically lying, and I call on the international community to join President Trump’s sanctions to exert more pressure on Iran. The only way to stop Iran’s march to the bomb, and its aggression in the region, is pressure, pressure and more pressure.”

Netanyahu’s statement comes in the background of the incident attributed to Israel on the Syrian-Iraq border that occurred tonight, during which aircraft attacked targets of the pro-Iranian militias. The Syrian human rights organization reported that at least 18 Iranian fighters and Shiite militia loyal to them were killed in the attack.

Israel fears Tehran plans to establish a land route from its territory to Lebanon, through which it will be able to smuggle advanced weapons. In recent weeks, a series of mysterious attacks have also occurred in Iraq’s territory, against the Shiite militias, some of which have been attributed to Israel.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu has hinted at this on several occasions, and last Thursday he met with US Secretary of Defense Mark Asper in London to discuss the threats posed by Tehran. The prime minister is also expected to meet later this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who backs Assad’s regime and cooperates with Iran in fighting the rebels, but Israel is coordinating its operations in Syria with Moscow to avoid incidents.

After thwarting the Iranian Quds force in Damascus against Israeli targets, Netanyahu called on the international community to take action to stop Iran’s attacks on Israel. He said, “Iran acts on a broad front to bring out murderous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel.” He also made it clear that “Israel will continue to defend its security in whatever way is required.”

The prime minister even referred to attacks attributed to Israel in Iraq, saying that “Iran has no immunity anywhere. A country that says ‘We are going to destroy you’, we will act against them wherever needed and more will be left.” When asked if Iraq also responded, “I did not restrict myself.”