Israel warns about agreement with Islamic Republic's "terror octopus"

The Israeli Prime Minister called the Islamic Republic a source of terror in the region and warned against investing in Iran. Naftali Bennett said at the World Economic Forum that only an agreement with Iran that leads to a halt to its nuclear activities is acceptable.

At the World Economic Forum, which is being held via video conference in Davos, Switzerland, Naftali Bennett called the Islamic Republic the source of terror in the Middle East and warned against its destabilizing actions.

According to the German news agency, on Tuesday, January 18, referring to the negotiations to revive the JCPOA, the eighth round of which is currently being held in Vienna, the Israeli Prime Minister emphasized that an agreement with the Islamic Republic is only acceptable if Iran halts its nuclear programs.

Negotiations to revive the JCPOA began in mid-April under the Hassan Rouhani government and resumed after a break of about six months with the negotiating team of the Ebrahim Raisi government.

Enrique Moura, the EU's deputy foreign policy chief, is coordinating these negotiations, and the United States is participating indirectly in them for the first time since withdrawing from the nuclear deal in May 2018.

The lifting of US sanctions and Iran's return to implementing its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) are among the most important issues being negotiated in Vienna.

Warning about the “Terror Octopus”

The Israeli Prime Minister called the Islamic Republic an "octopus of terror" that, he said, has its head in Tehran and its legs spread across the Middle East region.

Israel views Iran's regional presence and influence, especially in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip, as a threat to its security and has repeatedly emphasized that it will not tolerate the deployment of the Islamic Republic's military and its proxy groups near its borders.

Since its founding, the Islamic Republic has always stated the destruction of Israel as one of its most important goals and does not hide its financial and military support for groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip.

Iran has always denied the accusation of trying to obtain nuclear weapons and says the goal of its nuclear programs is the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

However, over the past few years, documents have been repeatedly revealed indicating the existence of some undeclared and hidden Iranian nuclear programs and centers.

Warning against investing in Iran after the agreement

It appears that representatives of the Islamic Republic, the five remaining countries in the nuclear deal, and the United States have, at least temporarily, come close to the general outlines of an agreement in the eighth round of talks in Vienna.

Israel has repeatedly said it will not commit to any agreement that does not commit Iran to abandoning its controversial nuclear programs in the long term, and will act alone against it if necessary.

Referring to the possibility of reaching an agreement in Vienna, the Israeli Prime Minister has warned potential investors in Iran that this would be a mistake, whether an agreement is reached or not.

In recent years, there have been actions against some Iranian nuclear facilities and individuals involved in them, for which the Islamic Republic has in some cases held Israel responsible.

Israel's massive investment in cyber defense

Attempting to conduct cyberattacks on Israeli companies and facilities is another accusation leveled against the Islamic Republic.

According to Reuters, Naftali Bennett said in his video speech at the Davos summit that Israel has made huge investments in technologies to counter cyberattacks in recent years, accounting for nearly half of all global investments in this field.

Israel's prime minister says the increase in remote working due to the coronavirus pandemic has made companies more vulnerable to cyberattacks, and the country has become a cyber defense powerhouse.

The World Economic Forum has been held in Davos every January for nearly half a century. The past two years have seen challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: DW