In meeting with US, Israel slams Iran as ‘fanatical regime’

In first trip to region as US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Iranian authorities a “fanatical regime” at a joint news conference with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Jerusalem. The US official’s arrival in Israel coincided with a sabotage attack on Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear facility that damaged its centrifuges, an assault that could imperil continuing talks over rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear accord. Returning Iran to the deal has been a top priority of the administration of US President Joe Biden. Netanyahu did not respond to Iranian allegations that Israel was behind the attack on Sunday. However, Israeli media widely reported that the country had orchestrated the devastating cyberattack that caused a blackout at the nuclear facility.