Israeli FM Saar warns against Iran nuclear weapons amid own undeclared arsenal

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stressed the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, despite Israel's own undeclared nuclear arsenal that is not subject to international oversight. Saar made the remarks Tuesday during a meeting in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to a post on X.

Condemnation of Iran

"We received yesterday, once again, evidence of the Iranian regime's mad nature. We strongly condemn the regime's unprovoked attacks against the United Arab Emirates," he said. For a second consecutive day, the UAE announced that it had intercepted missiles and drones launched from Iran. "Anyone who sees how this (Iranian) regime behaves toward all its neighbors in the region - understands the need to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons," he added.

Nuclear double standard

The US and Israel accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear and missile programs that threaten the region, while Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful. Israel, which occupies Palestinian territories as well as land in Lebanon and Syria, is widely believed to be the only country in the region with nuclear weapons, though it has never officially confirmed this and is not subject to IAEA oversight.

Ceasefire context

Israel is also preparing for the possible collapse of a ceasefire between the US and Iran that began on April 8 amid concerns of a renewed conflict following hostilities that started on Feb. 28 when the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran.