Despite the uncertainties surrounding talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal, Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran's Chief Nuclear Negotiator Bagheri Kani and deputy foreign minister, issued a harsh warning to Israel.
"The Zionists cannot even dream of attacking Iran," Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said in a brief interview with a reporter from the Al-Masirah TV, which is run by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
"If by any chance they dream of attacking Iran, they better believe they will never wake up from that dream," Iran's chief nuclear negotiator added, suggesting that Iran will defeat Israel in the event of such a war.
Over the past four decades, the Iranian leadership has regularly threatened to destroy Israel. However, in recent months, politicians and military leaders have stepped up their rhetoric in response to rumours that Israel is preparing for war against Iran, including exercises simulating massive strikes.
With some commanders citing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's previous warning to level the Israeli towns of Tel Aviv and Haifa, Tehran has threatened a "crushing" reaction.
Israel has always expressed worry over Western reconciliation with Tehran because it sees Tehran's nuclear programme as a threat to its very survival.
Attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and scientists have frequently been attributed to Israel, which has pleaded with the international community to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. However, Iran asserts that its nuclear programme is for peaceful uses only and that developing nuclear weapons has never been a priority.
The European Union mediated and Doha hosted the most recent round of covert negotiations between Iran and the United States to restore the 2015 nuclear deal last week. Although anticipation for the negotiations was rising, neither the American nor the European negotiators reported making much headway.
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