Israeli Ambassador to Korea Rafael Harpaz speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Israeli Ambassador to South Korea Rafael Harpaz on Thursday defended ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as a necessary measure to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal akin to North Korea’s, portraying Pyongyang’s nuclear buildup as a stark warning to the international community.
Speaking at a press briefing in Seoul, Harpaz said the operation against Iran was aimed primarily at halting its nuclear and ballistic missile programs before they reach what he described as an irreversible stage.
"Our goal is that Iran won’t have nuclear weapons, as it happened to North Korea. We will do our utmost to avoid Iran from becoming North Korea," the envoy said.
Harpaz drew parallels between Iran's current nuclear ambitions and North Korea's past nuclear development, arguing that international inaction decades ago allowed Pyongyang to advance its nuclear program.
"We learned the lessons from what happened here around 1994," Harpaz said, referring to the first North Korean nuclear crisis, when the United States considered a surgical strike on Pyongyang's nuclear facilities.
"I know the decision was not to take action. And now we have North Korea with 50 to 60 nuclear warheads."
The press conference came amid rapidly escalating military tensions in the Middle East following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Now in its sixth day, the conflict has largely centered on missile and drone strikes, but signs of possible ground operations are raising concerns about a protracted crisis.
The ambassador declined to discuss the possibility of a prolonged war or the deployment of Israeli ground forces, saying he could not comment on operational details.
Source: Korea Times News
