Iran's chief negotiator warns Israel against war preparations
The raging war of words coincided with protracted diplomacy over the revival of the Iran nuclear deal, which Israel has relentlessly criticized.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator and deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, issued a stern warning to Israel while talks over the revival of the Iran nuclear deal continued to be clouded with uncertainty.
"The Zionists cannot even dream of attacking Iran," Bagheri Kani said in a brief interview with a reporter from the Al-Masirah TV, which is run by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
"If by any chance they dream of attacking Iran, they better believe they will never wake up from that dream," the Iranian diplomat added, suggesting that the Islamic Republic will defeat Israel in the event of such a war.
The annihilation of Israel has been frequently invoked by the Iranian leadership over the past four decades. But in recent months, both politicians and military commanders have ratcheted up the rhetoric, enraged by reports of Israeli preparations for a war on Iran that include drills simulating large-scale strikes.
