Israel’s Message at IAEA Conference: “We Acted Before to Ensure Our Survival, and We Will Do So Again”

Moshe Edri, head of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, took part today (Tuesday) in the 70th annual General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), being held in Vienna, Austria.

As he does each year, Edri delivered a speech during the conference’s general debate. He focused his remarks on recent developments involving regional issues, especially Iran and Syria. His speech also addressed Israel’s strong cooperation with the IAEA on nuclear safety, security, and peaceful nuclear applications.

In his address, Edri discussed Iran’s negative regional and global role, including its undermining of security and stability through threats to destroy Israel, attack neighboring countries, and target American forces. This includes actual attacks on civilian nuclear facilities using drones, as well as the launching of rockets and missiles at civilian infrastructure through its proxies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

Edri referred to the decision adopted about a year ago by the agency’s Board of Governors, which found that Iran was not complying with the monitoring commitments it had undertaken. He noted that Iran has further worsened the situation by preventing IAEA inspectors from entering its nuclear facilities for more than a year. Those facilities are supposed to be under supervision under Iran’s agreement with the agency, prompting the Board of Governors to report the matter to the UN Security Council. 

Edri stressed that “the extremist Iranian regime continues to build infrastructure for missile production while simultaneously seeking to advance its military nuclear program, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The State of Israel will not stand by in the face of threats to destroy it, and the region and the entire world will be safer with an Iran that has no military nuclear program. We acted in the past to ensure our survival, and we will do so again if necessary.”

On Syria, the head of Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission cited the IAEA report on Syria’s efforts under the Assad regime, including the reactor secretly built in Deir ez-Zor. He said the report proves that Israel’s statements and actions concerning Syria’s covert nuclear weapons program were indeed correct and justified. Edri said that “if Israel had not acted at the time against the reactor built in Syria, the Assad regime would already have had a military nuclear capability today.”