Israeli Ambassador: Only a 'Libya Model' Can Effectively Halt Iran's Nuclear Program

The Israeli ambassador to the United States emphasized that the only effective solution to stop Iran's nuclear program is an agreement similar to the Libya model, which includes the complete destruction of Iran's nuclear infrastructure and the collection of the country's enriched uranium. Yihyei Litter stated on Saturday in an interview with Fox News that Iran will be the main focus of cooperation between the Israeli and U.S. governments during Donald Trump's second presidential term. He made these remarks in an interview published by Fox News on Sunday. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, was the first foreign leader to meet and discuss with Trump after the start of his second term. In this interview, the Israeli ambassador stressed, 'We cannot live with a nuclear Iran. I believe Western civilization cannot coexist with a nuclear Iran either.' He also noted that Washington and Tel Aviv will jointly take action to address this issue. In response to a question about the possibility of trusting any agreement with the Islamic Republic or continuing the 'maximum pressure' policy, Litter said, 'Do not trust, but verify.' The Israeli ambassador remarked that they have 'witnessed this path many times before' in negotiations with the Islamic Republic, which he described as 'masters of delaying problems' and 'bargaining' without solving them. Yihyei Litter stated that if an agreement with the Islamic Republic resembles the 'Libya agreement' where they would enter [Iran] and collect any enriched uranium and destroy nuclear infrastructure, this is exactly what they want to achieve. He mentioned that under such an agreement (of the Libya type), Israel would not insist on a military response to the 'pursuit of nuclear weapons' by the Islamic Republic. The ambassador stressed that the most important thing is 'preventing the mullahs in Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons because they are crazy and will use [nuclear weapons].' He also mentioned that Israel and the U.S. cooperate regarding Gaza and monitoring the situation in Syria. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stated on Friday that negotiating with the U.S. does not solve the country's problems. Following Khamenei's remarks, the value of the rial against the U.S. dollar quickly declined. Donald Trump has expressed hope that the issue of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program can be resolved without military action from Israel. Netanyahu described his meeting with Trump as a 'historic turning point for Israel.'