TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, has said it is a "responsible and essential" move for Tehran to maximize its defense capabilities owing to Israel's threats.
He made the remarks in a post on the social media platform X late Thursday while reacting to recent comments by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who had claimed that "Iran has enriched enough uranium for a couple of bombs," and threatened the country with a military action to stop its nuclear program, as well as the West's constant criticism of Tehran's efforts to increase its defense power.
Baghaei said Israel's foreign minister and other officials "keep threatening Iran with military action while the West continues to blame Iran for its defense capability."
He described the West's criticism as "outrageous and irrational," adding, "In a region scourged by an occupying entity (Israel) that is long addicted to aggression and lawless behavior, it is only responsible and essential to maximize our defense capabilities."
In an interview with Politico in Brussels, which was published on Wednesday, the Israeli foreign minister said Iran was "playing with ways" to weaponize its enriched nuclear material, adding that although Israel sought to pursue a diplomatic path, the chances of the success of such an approach were "not huge."
Sa'ar emphasized, "I think that in order to stop a nuclear Iranian program before it will be weaponized, a reliable military option should be on the table."
Iran has repeatedly claimed that its nuclear program is peaceful, mainly aimed at generating electricity and producing radiopharmaceuticals. ■
