The head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Service (Aman) Aharon Halifa claimed, on Monday evening, that Iran is considering “harming” the FIFA World Cup currently being held in Qatar, according to official Hebrew media.
Until 18:00 GMT, Tehran did not comment on Halifa’s talk, but it repeatedly accused Israel of inciting against Iran, as each of them considers the other country its number one enemy.
Halifa said, in a speech at the Institute for National Security Studies conference, “With the increase of internal and external pressure on Iran, the Iranian response to various events becomes more aggressive,” according to the “Kan” channel affiliated with the official Israeli broadcaster.
Iran is facing external pressure on the background of its nuclear program and has been witnessing protests for nearly two months following the death of young woman Mahsa Amini (22 years), three days after she was arrested by the police for not adhering to the strict rules of dress in the country.
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Halifa added, “More aggressive measures should be expected from Iran in the region and the world. I tell you that the Iranians are now considering harming the World Cup in Qatar, but they fear the response of the Qataris,” without further details.
And on Sunday, the World Cup finals kicked off in Qatar, with the participation of 32 countries, and it will continue until December 18. This is the first time that an Arab and Islamic country in the Middle East has managed to break the Western monopoly on organizing the most famous football tournament.
Halifa continued: “You have to look at the rapid developments and their unity. In London they are preparing for an Iranian attack and they know what they are talking about. The United States is preparing for Iranian terrorism,” he said.
Regional and Western capitals, led by Tel Aviv and Washington, accuse Iran of seeking to produce nuclear weapons, while Tehran says its program is designed for peaceful purposes, especially electricity generation.
Haliva said, “In the near future, Iran will be able to enrich uranium by 90 percent,” according to the website of the Hebrew newspaper, Haaretz.
And he added, “Iran today has the amount of enrichment needed for four nuclear bombs. This means that they need 100 kilograms of 90 percent enriched uranium to possess the materials needed for four nuclear warheads.”
And he continued, “Every time they take a step and wait to see the reaction of the international community, and after they see that the world is at peace with nuclear energy, they will move forward.”
Tel Aviv has a nuclear arsenal that is not subject to the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency because it has not been officially announced.