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| Iran Calls Israeli Leader a Liar Ahead of U.N. Speech | Iran Calls Israeli Leader a Liar Ahead of U.N. Speech |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Iranian diplomats sought to undermine the credibility of Israel’s prime minister on Tuesday in advance of his annual United Nations address, calling him a persistent liar and warning President Obama not to allow the Israelis to subvert the positive spirit cultivated by Iran’s new president in his visit to the United Nations last week. | Iranian diplomats sought to undermine the credibility of Israel’s prime minister on Tuesday in advance of his annual United Nations address, calling him a persistent liar and warning President Obama not to allow the Israelis to subvert the positive spirit cultivated by Iran’s new president in his visit to the United Nations last week. |
| The remarks were delivered by Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and his spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, in Iran state news media. They followed by a day a visit by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, with Mr. Obama at the White House, where both presented a public display of unity regarding Iran’s disputed nuclear energy program. Rather than ease the sanctions on Iran, as the Iranians want, Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Obama they should be tightened. | The remarks were delivered by Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and his spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, in Iran state news media. They followed by a day a visit by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, with Mr. Obama at the White House, where both presented a public display of unity regarding Iran’s disputed nuclear energy program. Rather than ease the sanctions on Iran, as the Iranians want, Mr. Netanyahu told Mr. Obama they should be tightened. |
| Mr. Netanyahu, who has described President Hassan Rouhani of Iran as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” over his assertions that Iran wants peaceful nuclear development, was scheduled to speak later Tuesday at the annual United Nations General Assembly. | Mr. Netanyahu, who has described President Hassan Rouhani of Iran as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” over his assertions that Iran wants peaceful nuclear development, was scheduled to speak later Tuesday at the annual United Nations General Assembly. |
| Concerned that Iran’s president might have beguiled the Americans and other Westerners with diplomatic charm but no substance in his visit to the United Nations last week — punctuated by precedent-setting phone telephone call from Mr. Obama to Mr. Rouhani as he was leaving for the airport — the Israeli government had said Mr. Netanyahu would equate Iran’s behavior with that of North Korea’s deceptive nuclear practices in his speech. | Concerned that Iran’s president might have beguiled the Americans and other Westerners with diplomatic charm but no substance in his visit to the United Nations last week — punctuated by precedent-setting phone telephone call from Mr. Obama to Mr. Rouhani as he was leaving for the airport — the Israeli government had said Mr. Netanyahu would equate Iran’s behavior with that of North Korea’s deceptive nuclear practices in his speech. |
| Hours before Mr. Netanyahu got to the General Assembly podium, however, Mr. Zarif carried out a pre-emptive strike of sorts, castigating the Israeli leader in an interview carried by Iranian state television. | |
| “Over the past 22 years, the regime, Israel, has been saying Iran will have nuclear arms in six months,” Mr. Zarif said. “The continuation of this game, in fact, is based on lying, deception, incitement and harassment.” | “Over the past 22 years, the regime, Israel, has been saying Iran will have nuclear arms in six months,” Mr. Zarif said. “The continuation of this game, in fact, is based on lying, deception, incitement and harassment.” |
| He added: “We have seen nothing from Netanyahu but lies and actions to deceive and scare, and international public opinion will not let these lies go unanswered.” Mr. Netanyahu, he said, “was the most isolated man at the U.N.” | He added: “We have seen nothing from Netanyahu but lies and actions to deceive and scare, and international public opinion will not let these lies go unanswered.” Mr. Netanyahu, he said, “was the most isolated man at the U.N.” |
| Earlier on his Twitter account, Mr. Zarif alluded to the Obama-Netanyahu meeting on Monday in a message that read: “President Obama needs consistency to promote mutual confidence. Flip-flop destroys trust and undermines US credibility.” | Earlier on his Twitter account, Mr. Zarif alluded to the Obama-Netanyahu meeting on Monday in a message that read: “President Obama needs consistency to promote mutual confidence. Flip-flop destroys trust and undermines US credibility.” |
| In Tehran, Mr. Zarif’s spokeswoman, Ms. Afkham, was quoted by Iranian news agencies as saying, “The pressure coming from the Zionist regime is down to its isolation and its anger that the policy of the Iranian government has been well received.” |