Israel urges China to use its ‘influence’ to stop Iran’s nuclear program

Israel’s top diplomat on Monday urged China to use its “influence” on Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, stressing that Israel will take all necessary measures to prevent the Islamic Republic from becoming a nuclear-armed state.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, and “called on him to exert his influence on Iran to stop the progress of the nuclear program, which poses a danger to many countries in the Middle East and the world.”

“The State of Israel will act in any way to prevent the terrorist regime in Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons,” Cohen wrote on Twitter.

Israel accuses Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies.

Israel has repeatedly warned that it would take military action if diplomatic efforts fail to curb Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.

Efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, of which China is a party, have stalled since last year.

The deal offered Iran relief from international sanctions in exchange for strict but temporary curbs on its nuclear program. The agreement unraveled after the US withdrew from it under former President Donald Trump in 2018.

China, which has close relations with Iran, recently brokered a diplomatic breakthrough between Iran and Saudi Arabia, resulting in the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two regional powers after a seven-year hiatus.