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| Israeli Leader Excoriates New President of Iran | Israeli Leader Excoriates New President of Iran |
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| UNITED NATIONS — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel sought to shred the credibility of Iran’s new president on Tuesday, using his annual speech at the United Nations to cast the Iranian as a beguiling figure who used soothing words and charm to mask intentions to build nuclear weapons. | UNITED NATIONS — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel sought to shred the credibility of Iran’s new president on Tuesday, using his annual speech at the United Nations to cast the Iranian as a beguiling figure who used soothing words and charm to mask intentions to build nuclear weapons. |
| In remarks interspersed with sarcasm about the new president, Hassan Rouhani, who visited the United Nations last week and said that Tehran wanted to reach a peaceful resolution of its protracted nuclear dispute, Mr. Netanyahu declared that Mr. Rouhani was no different from any other president of Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. | In remarks interspersed with sarcasm about the new president, Hassan Rouhani, who visited the United Nations last week and said that Tehran wanted to reach a peaceful resolution of its protracted nuclear dispute, Mr. Netanyahu declared that Mr. Rouhani was no different from any other president of Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. |
| “They’ve all served that same unforgiving creed, that same unforgiving regime,” said Mr. Netanyahu, who regards Iran as Israel’s most potent enemy and its nuclear ambitions an “existential threat” despite Iran’s persistent denials that it seeks nuclear weapons. Mr. Netanyahu said that “President Rouhani, like the presidents who came before him, is a loyal servant of the regime.” | “They’ve all served that same unforgiving creed, that same unforgiving regime,” said Mr. Netanyahu, who regards Iran as Israel’s most potent enemy and its nuclear ambitions an “existential threat” despite Iran’s persistent denials that it seeks nuclear weapons. Mr. Netanyahu said that “President Rouhani, like the presidents who came before him, is a loyal servant of the regime.” |
| Mr. Netanyahu dismissed any thought of allowing Iran to enrich uranium to even a low level, insisting that the only way to assure it would never build a nuclear weapon was a complete dismantlement of its capability to enrich nuclear fuel. He exhorted the West to intensify economic sanctions on Iran instead of easing them, as Mr. Rouhani has demanded. | Mr. Netanyahu dismissed any thought of allowing Iran to enrich uranium to even a low level, insisting that the only way to assure it would never build a nuclear weapon was a complete dismantlement of its capability to enrich nuclear fuel. He exhorted the West to intensify economic sanctions on Iran instead of easing them, as Mr. Rouhani has demanded. |
| “I wish I could believe Rouhani, but I don’t,” Mr. Netanyahu told the General Assembly, where Iran’s seats were vacant. “Because facts are stubborn things.” | |
| Mr. Netanyahu said that nothing in Iran’s insistent entreaties for sanctions relief included concessions on its uranium enrichment capabilities. He likened Iran’s strategy to that of North Korea’s deceptive path to a nuclear weapon and suggested Iran’s behavior resembled that of the fascist dictatorships of history. | Mr. Netanyahu said that nothing in Iran’s insistent entreaties for sanctions relief included concessions on its uranium enrichment capabilities. He likened Iran’s strategy to that of North Korea’s deceptive path to a nuclear weapon and suggested Iran’s behavior resembled that of the fascist dictatorships of history. |
| “The last century has taught us that when a radical regime with global ambitions gets awesome power, sooner or later its appetite for aggression knows no bounds,” he said. | “The last century has taught us that when a radical regime with global ambitions gets awesome power, sooner or later its appetite for aggression knows no bounds,” he said. |
| Mr. Netanyahu said the international response to Iran’s entreaties for sanctions relief should be “distrust, dismantle and verify,” and he repeated his warnings that Israel reserved the right to preemptively strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if it deemed the Iranians were close to producing nuclear weapons. | Mr. Netanyahu said the international response to Iran’s entreaties for sanctions relief should be “distrust, dismantle and verify,” and he repeated his warnings that Israel reserved the right to preemptively strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if it deemed the Iranians were close to producing nuclear weapons. |
| Khodadad Seifi, a deputy ambassador at Iran’s Mission to the United Nations, said afterward that his country had found Mr. Netanyahu’s speech inflammatory, rejected the notion that Iran was building a nuclear arsenal, and asserted its right to self-defense. | Khodadad Seifi, a deputy ambassador at Iran’s Mission to the United Nations, said afterward that his country had found Mr. Netanyahu’s speech inflammatory, rejected the notion that Iran was building a nuclear arsenal, and asserted its right to self-defense. |
| “The Israeli Prime Minister better not even think about attacking Iran let alone planning for that,” the Iranian ambassador said. He capped his remarks by saying that Iran’s “smile policy” was better than “lying.” | “The Israeli Prime Minister better not even think about attacking Iran let alone planning for that,” the Iranian ambassador said. He capped his remarks by saying that Iran’s “smile policy” was better than “lying.” |
| Mr. Netanyahu spent almost the entire 33-minute address on the Iran nuclear issue, reflecting Israeli concern that Mr. Hassan had successfully made an impression of sincerity in his whirlwind of diplomacy at the United Nations. The Israeli leader reserved only a few minutes of his address to reiterate his desire to make peace with the Palestinians, but offered nothing new in his government’s longstanding positions. | Mr. Netanyahu spent almost the entire 33-minute address on the Iran nuclear issue, reflecting Israeli concern that Mr. Hassan had successfully made an impression of sincerity in his whirlwind of diplomacy at the United Nations. The Israeli leader reserved only a few minutes of his address to reiterate his desire to make peace with the Palestinians, but offered nothing new in his government’s longstanding positions. |
| Gilad Erdan, Mr. Netanyahu’s communications minister, said in an interview afterward with Israel’s Channel 10 television that the speech had been meant to convey Mr. Netanyahu’s view that Mr. Rouhani had been seeking to deceive. “The world needs to understand that the niceness attack is an attack of lies that is aimed to achieve nothing but the removal of the sanctions, and if Israel shall find itself alone it will also act alone,” he said. | Gilad Erdan, Mr. Netanyahu’s communications minister, said in an interview afterward with Israel’s Channel 10 television that the speech had been meant to convey Mr. Netanyahu’s view that Mr. Rouhani had been seeking to deceive. “The world needs to understand that the niceness attack is an attack of lies that is aimed to achieve nothing but the removal of the sanctions, and if Israel shall find itself alone it will also act alone,” he said. |
| Hours before Mr. Netanyahu spoke, Iranian diplomats sought to make a pre-emptive strike of their own, calling him a persistent liar and warning President Obama not to allow the Israelis to subvert the positive spirit cultivated by Mr. Rouhani in his visit to the United Nations. | Hours before Mr. Netanyahu spoke, Iranian diplomats sought to make a pre-emptive strike of their own, calling him a persistent liar and warning President Obama not to allow the Israelis to subvert the positive spirit cultivated by Mr. Rouhani in his visit to the United Nations. |
| The remarks were delivered by Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and his spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, in Iranian state news media. They followed by a day a visit by Mr. Netanyahu with Mr. Obama at the White House, where both presented a public display of unity regarding Iran’s disputed nuclear energy program. | The remarks were delivered by Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and his spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, in Iranian state news media. They followed by a day a visit by Mr. Netanyahu with Mr. Obama at the White House, where both presented a public display of unity regarding Iran’s disputed nuclear energy program. |
| “Over the past 22 years, the regime, Israel, has been saying Iran will have nuclear arms in six months,” Mr. Zarif said in an interview on state television. “The continuation of this game, in fact, is based on lying, deception, incitement and harassment.” | “Over the past 22 years, the regime, Israel, has been saying Iran will have nuclear arms in six months,” Mr. Zarif said in an interview on state television. “The continuation of this game, in fact, is based on lying, deception, incitement and harassment.” |
| He added: “We have seen nothing from Netanyahu but lies and actions to deceive and scare, and international public opinion will not let these lies go unanswered.” Mr. Netanyahu, he said, “was the most isolated man at the U.N.” | He added: “We have seen nothing from Netanyahu but lies and actions to deceive and scare, and international public opinion will not let these lies go unanswered.” Mr. Netanyahu, he said, “was the most isolated man at the U.N.” |
| Earlier on his Twitter account, Mr. Zarif alluded to the Obama-Netanyahu meeting on Monday in a message that read: “President Obama needs consistency to promote mutual confidence. Flip-flop destroys trust and undermines US credibility.” | Earlier on his Twitter account, Mr. Zarif alluded to the Obama-Netanyahu meeting on Monday in a message that read: “President Obama needs consistency to promote mutual confidence. Flip-flop destroys trust and undermines US credibility.” |
| And Mr. Zarif’s spokeswoman, Ms. Afkham, was quoted by Iranian news agencies as saying, “The pressure coming from the Zionist regime is down to its isolation and its anger that the policy of the Iranian government has been well received.” | And Mr. Zarif’s spokeswoman, Ms. Afkham, was quoted by Iranian news agencies as saying, “The pressure coming from the Zionist regime is down to its isolation and its anger that the policy of the Iranian government has been well received.” |
Jodi Rudoren contributed reporting from Jerusalem. | Jodi Rudoren contributed reporting from Jerusalem. |
| This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: | This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: |
| Correction: October 1, 2013 | Correction: October 1, 2013 |
An earlier version of this article misidentified the Iranian diplomat who responded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address. He is is Khodadad Seifi, a deputy ambassador to the United Nations, not Mohammad Khazaee, the ambassador. | An earlier version of this article misidentified the Iranian diplomat who responded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address. He is is Khodadad Seifi, a deputy ambassador to the United Nations, not Mohammad Khazaee, the ambassador. |