Speaking in his first public reaction to the election of Hassan Rohani as the new Iranian president, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned the world not to be deceived by the leader’s “moderate” credentials.
"We are not deluding ourselves," the prime minister said said. "We need to remember that the Iranian ruler at the outset disqualified candidates who were not in line with his extreme world view, and from among those whom he did allow, the one seen as least identified with the regime was elected. But we are still speaking about someone who calls Israel the 'great Zionist Satan."
Netanyahu reminded the international community that it is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's Supreme Leader, who determines Iranian nuclear policy, and not the country's president.
"The more the pressure on Iran increases, the greater the chances of stopping the Iranian nuclear program, which still remains the worlds' greatest thereat," Netanyahu said.
"In the last 20 years the only thing that has brought about a temporary freeze of the Iranian nuclear program was Iranian concern in 2003 about an attack against it," the prime minister continued.
"Iran will be judged by its actions,"he said. "If continues to stubbornly develop its nuclear program, the answer needs to be clear: stopping its program any way possible."