
“Threatening others is both a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters, adding Israel “can’t do a thing” against Iran.
On Sunday, Netanyahu told a Jerusalem news conference with visiting US secretary of state Marco Rubio that Israel would “finish the job” against Iran with the support of the US, its top ally.
Netanyahu also said Israel had “dealt a mighty blow to Iran’s terror axis” during the past 16 months.
Over that period, Israel has engaged in conflicts with Iran-backed groups, including Palestinian militants Hamas in Gaza, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
These groups form part of what Iran describes as its “axis of resistance” – a network of regional militants aligned against Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians.
US President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has reinstated a “maximum pressure” policy against Iran, mirroring his approach during his first term.
Under this policy, the US unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, accusing Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons.
Iran has repeatedly denied these allegations, though it has scaled back its commitments under the agreement and increased uranium enrichment levels to 60%.
On Sunday, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Iran would never become a nuclear power, labelling the Islamic republic the “greatest” source of instability in the Middle East.
Baqaei on Monday said Iran’s nuclear activities comply with the safeguards protocol of the UN nuclear agency and emphasised Tehran’s commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.