Israel claims it has 'proof' of Iran's nuclear weapons plan

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01:28

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address on Monday that he had new "proof" of an Iranian nuclear weapons plan that could be activated at any time, as the US considers whether to pull out of the atomic accord with Tehran while the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday denounced Netanyahu's nuclear allegations against Iran as a "worthless show."

Baharm Qasemi, the foreign ministry spokesman of Iran, said in a statement that the "ridiculous propagandist presentations" of Netanyahu are "one of the latest shameful and worthless shows about Iran's nuclear program."

Netanyahu on Monday accused Israel's main enemy, Iran, of lying about its nuclear ambitions; he did not provide evidence that it had actively worked to obtain an atomic weapon since the 2015 agreement between Tehran and six world powers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 30, 2018. /Reuters Photo

However, Qasemi said the allegations were "merely aimed at spreading lies and deception."

Netanyahu's disclosure came ahead of US President Donald Trump's looming May 12 deadline to decide whether to extend the waiver on nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.

Iran has always denied it sought a nuclear weapon, insisting its atomic program was for civilian purposes.

Netanyahu made the comments in an elaborate presentation that included props, video and slides, broadcast live on television from Tel Aviv. He said Israel had obtained tens of thousands of files "a few weeks ago in a great intelligence achievement," saying they had been moved to a secret compound in Tehran in 2017 that looked dilapidated from the outside. The material obtained weighed half a ton, he said.

As he spoke, binders that he said held copies of original documents were on shelves behind him, as were cases containing CDs.

"Tonight we're going to reveal new and conclusive proof of the secret nuclear weapons program that Iran has been hiding for years from the international community in its secret atomic archive," Netanyahu said. "We're going to show you Iran's secret nuclear files."

He then laid out what he said was a years-old secret nuclear weapons program stored away and which could be put into action at any time. The details have been shared with the United States and will also be given to other countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he said.

Netanyahu speaks during a news conference at the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 30, 2018. /Reuters Photo

Iran slams 'boy who cries wolf'

After Netanyahu's statement was announced but before he spoke, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif already dismissed it.

"The boy who can't stop crying wolf is at it again," he wrote on Twitter. "You can only fool some of the people so many times."

Zarif then took to Twitter again to lambast both Netanyahu and Trump, who has a May 12 deadline to decide on whether or not to walk away from the nuclear deal.

Trump "is jumping on a rehash of old allegations already dealt with by the IAEA to 'nix' the (2015 nuclear) deal," Zarif tweeted.

"How convenient. Coordinated timing of alleged intelligence revelations by the boy who cries wolf just days before May 12," he added.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves to the crowd as he delivers a speech during Labor Day at the workers' meeting, April 30, 2018. /VCG Photo

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said Iran has the technical capability to enrich uranium to a higher level than it could before the 2015 deal was reached.

Trump has derided the nuclear deal with Iran as "insane" partly because its restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities begin expiring in 2025.

Most world powers, however, say the nuclear deal is working as intended for now and is the best way to keep Iran from acquiring the bomb. French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany left Washington last week after talks with Trump, which failed to secure any promise to keep the deal alive.

IAEA: 'No credible indications'

The UN's nuclear watchdog reiterated Tuesday it had "no credible indications of activities in Iran relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device after 2009," citing its assessments from 2015.

A spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement that its board of governors had "declared that its consideration of this issue was closed" after it was presented with a report in December 2015.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters is pictured in Vienna, Austria. /VCG Photo

The statement came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled what he said was new "proof" that Iran's nuclear weapons program could be reactivated at any time.

Without referring to Netanyahu's claims directly, the IAEA spokesman said the agency "evaluates all safeguards-relevant information available to it."

"However, it is not the practice of the IAEA to publicly discuss issues related to any such information," he added.

Netanyahu said on Monday that he would share the material with other countries and with the IAEA.

In the statement, the IAEA pointed to its previous findings related to Iran's activities before 2009. "Before the end of 2003, an organizational structure was in place in Iran suitable for the coordination of a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device," the statement says.

"Although some activities took place after 2003, they were not part of a coordinated effort," it said, adding that "these activities did not advance beyond feasibility and scientific studies, and the acquisition of certain relevant technical competencies and capabilities."

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters ,Xinhua News Agency