Israeli Ambassador Says Iran Is Unlike Any Other Country, Urges Limits on Missiles and Nuclear Program

Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, responded Thursday to President Donald Trump’s remark the night before that Iran needs ballistic missiles because other countries have them. In an interview on “Washington Watch,” Leiter said, “The armed murderers in Tehran are not like any other country in the region,” warning that if Iran has ballistic missiles, “they are going to use them against their neighbors.”

Leiter said he trusts Trump and described the United States and Israel as close partners since Trump returned to the White House, especially during the current war. He said Israel struck what he called “the crazy people from Iran,” accusing them of holding the region hostage by closing the Strait of Hormuz and firing ballistic missiles across the Middle East.

He said Israel hopes the memorandum of understanding under discussion will lead to what it is meant to achieve, “a complete halt to Iran’s progress toward nuclear weapons.” Leiter also said he hopes ballistic missiles will be addressed during the 60 days of negotiations and that the program will ultimately be shut down.

Leiter added that Iran must not be treated like a normal state and repeated that it is led by “armed murderers.” He also said he hopes Lebanon will be included differently in the memorandum, arguing that Hezbollah cannot be allowed near that border.