Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has dismissed Israeli claims that Tehran has a secret atomic warehouse. Zarif also called on Israel to open its "illegal nuclear weapons" program to international inspectors.
Image: Tasnim/M. Madadi
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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday ridiculed Israeli claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his UN General Assembly Thursday that Iran possessed a largescale and "secret atomic warehouse."
"No arts and craft show will ever obfuscate that Israel is only regime in our region with a *secret* and *undeclared* nuclear weapons program - including an *actual atomic arsenal,*" he tweeted.
He appeared to be referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly on Thursday when he displayed maps and photos of what he claimed was a secret nuclear weapons storage site in Tehran disguised as a rug-cleaning business.
Netanyahu said that 15 kilograms of radioactive material had been relocated from the site to other parts of the capital in recent weeks and called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate.
Israel, along with Saudi Arabia, backed moves initiated last May by US President Donald Trump to abandon a six-power nuclear restrain accord reached with Iran in 2015 that involved Germany and France.
The first phase of US sanctions against Iran went back into effect in early August. Here's a breakdown of what the sanctions are targeting and how Iran has reacted to the measures.
Image: Reuters/TIMA/N. T. Yazdi
Sanctions signed off
US President Trump signed an executive order on August 5 aimed at piling financial pressure on Tehran to force a "comprehensive and lasting solution" to Iranian threats, including its development of missiles and regional "malign" activities. Trump warned that those who don't wind down their economic ties to Iran "risk severe consequences."
Image: Shealah Craighead
Where's the money?
The first phase, which took effect on August 7, targets the Islamic Republic's access to US banknotes, making transactions in a US-dollar dominated financial world difficult. A ban on Iran purchasing precious metals including gold further serves as an attempt to cut the country off from global markets.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Kenare
Planes, cars and carpets
Phase one also hits key industries including the purchase of commercial planes, cars and carpets. Iranian imports of graphite, aluminum, steel, coal, gold and some software are also affected. German automaker Daimler called off the production and sale of Mercedes-Benz trucks in Iran indefinitely after the sanctions came into force.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
Fuel to the fire
A second phase of sanctions — which is due to take effect on November 5 and will block Iran's oil sales — is due to cause more damage. Several countries, however, including China, India and Turkey have indicated they are not willing to entirely cut their Iranian energy purchases.
Image: Reuters/R. Homavandi
'Psychological warfare'
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the United States had launched "psychological warfare" against Iran to create division amongst its people. But he insisted that Iran still can rely on its allies China and Russia to keep its oil and banking sectors afloat. He has also demanded compensation for decades of American "intervention" in the Islamic Republic.
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the bloc is encouraging small and medium enterprises to increase their business with Iran. She said Tehran has been compliant with their nuclear-related commitments. The EU issued a "blocking statute" to protect European businesses from the impact of the sanctions.
On Thursday, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Netanyahu's claim were "baseless and ridiculous" and added that the only recognized supervisory body for nuclear facilities was the IAEA and that it had certified Iran's nuclear program as peaceful 12 times since 2015.
Zarif also demanded Israel "open its illegal nuclear weapons" program to international inspectors. "Time for Israel to fess up and open its illegal nuclear weapons program to international inspectors," he tweeted.
Zarif said the IAEA had certified that Iran is in compliance with its obligations under the 2015 international nuclear deal that forbids it from developing nuclear weapons. The US withdrew from the deal in May.
"Netanyahu must explain how Israel, as the only possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East region, can put itself in a position to level such brazen accusations against a country whose [nuclear] program has been repeatedly declared peaceful by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Zarif told IRNA on Thursday.
