Iran on September 28 vowed to “retaliate” against any attack after Israel’s prime minister called for a “red line” to prevent the Islamic republic from acquiring a nuclear bomb. Denying any nuclear military programme, Iran’s deputy UN ambassador said his country “is strong enough to defend itself and reserves its full right to retaliate with full force against any attack.” The envoy, Eshagh Al-Habib, called Israel a “regime which is based on terrorism and is the father founder of state terrorism in the world,” in comments distributed before they were read out at the UN General Assembly.
Al-Habib accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of making “baseless allegations” against Iran during a firebrand speech to the assembly earlier in the day. Netanyahu called for “a clear red line on Iran’s nuclear weapons program” in his speech to the 193-member assembly. Habib said Netanyahu had “shamelessly and hypocritically” made the accusations against Iran, adding that Israel is an undeclared nuclear power.