In letter, Iran urges UN to stand up to Israel

In the face of resumed military threats by Israeli leaders, Iran's ambassador to the UN, calls on the world body to put a stop to such 'irresponsible behaviors'.

“There is absolutely no sense in the ongoing Israeli threats against the Tehran government,” said Iranian ambassador to the UN Mohammad Khazaei in a letter of protest to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Khazaei pointed to claims made by Ephraim Sneh, a former Israeli deputy defense minister, earlier last week. Sneh had told the Sunday Times that time was running out for action against Tehran's enrichment activities.

“If no crippling sanctions are introduced by Christmas, Israel will strike,” he had said. “If we are left alone, we will act alone.”

Khazaei said that considering Israel's trigger-happy attitude in the past, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should take necessary action against these “irresponsible comments”.

“Such remarks, which are occasionally made by Tel Aviv leaders, are nothing but lame excuses to fudge the issue over Israel's nuclear arsenal and divert attention from its criminal and terrorist activities in the region,” he added.

Khazaei assured that Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful. “The only threat in the region is the existence of Israel's nuclear arsenal, which has so far remained unsupervised and undeclared.”

Ever since Iran announced plans to build a second enrichment plant in the southern outskirts of Tehran, speculation has been rife that Israel might attack the country's nuclear infrastructure as soon as next year.

Tel Aviv, which houses an arsenal of 200 nuclear warheads, views Tehran's nuclear program as a mortal threat. Israeli leaders repeatedly warned to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities out of existence.

This is while the Islamic Republic, since its establishment in 1979, has never committed a single act of invasion. Iran has gone to war only once, to defend itself against the Iraq-imposed war in 1980, whereas Israel has invaded Lebanon twice, bombed Syria once, and attacked Gaza many times.

The Israeli regime has also masterminded a wave of undercover operations and assassination plots in countries it considers foes, including Syria and Lebanon.