Israeli Ambassador in Tashkent Cites Iran’s Accelerating Missile and Nuclear Programs as Reason for Military Action

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Israel’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Uzbekistan, Gideon Lustig, outlined his country’s official position on the recent sharp escalation in the Middle East and the transition of Israel and the United States to an active phase of military operations against Iran during a press briefing in Tashkent.

According to Lustig, the situation has long surpassed a local or bilateral conflict and directly impacts the security of the entire region.

The diplomat emphasized that Israel views its actions not as an act of aggression, but as a necessary preventive measure. The goal of the operation, he said, is to avert an existential threat that could materialize in the near future. Lustig noted that this is not a situational escalation but a decision that, from Tel Aviv’s perspective, could no longer be postponed.

At the start of the briefing, the ambassador noted that media coverage in Uzbekistan and the region often focuses on operational reports — strikes and military maneuvers — while deeper analysis of the underlying causes remains largely absent. He stressed that the main question for many today is why events in the Middle East escalated to a critical phase at this particular time.

Gideon Lustig stated that the current operation is a joint effort between Israel and the United States, with an unprecedented level of coordination both militarily and politically. However, he highlighted a fundamental difference in threat perception: while the United States sees the issue in terms of strategic stability, Israel considers Iran an immediate and persistent threat. Lustig recalled that Iran’s leadership has openly expressed intentions to destroy Israel for decades.

According to the ambassador, Israel has long identified three key areas in which Iran is building its military strategy: the nuclear program, the ballistic missile program, and support for armed groups in the region. He placed particular emphasis on ballistic missiles, noting that their sole purpose is the delivery of destructive payloads. According to Lustig, these systems are designed to overwhelm Israel’s air defenses and strike critical infrastructure.

Israel, he said, has observed a sharp acceleration in long-range missile production in Iran over the past year, as well as active relocation of military infrastructure to deep underground shelters. This, Lustig noted, was a key factor prompting Tel Aviv and Washington to conclude that further delay was no longer possible.

Regarding the nuclear program, Lustig stated that Iran continues to enrich uranium to 60 percent. He cited reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency indicating that Tehran possesses significant quantities of highly enriched uranium. Despite strikes on its facilities last year, Iran has not abandoned its nuclear infrastructure and continues active enrichment.

The diplomat emphasized that Israel considers it unacceptable for Iran to develop a military component of its nuclear program. He referenced statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, European leaders, and former U.S. President Donald Trump, all of whom assert that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons.

Another factor cited by Lustig for the operation was a shift in Iranian tactics. He explained that lessons from last year led Tehran to systematically conceal key facilities underground, which, from Israel’s perspective, could in the future make them harder to neutralize. Had action not been taken now, destroying these sites would become significantly more difficult in the near term.

The central theme of Lustig’s remarks was the concept of a “window of opportunity.” He stressed that the decision was difficult for Israel’s leadership, but inaction, in their calculation, would have led to far worse consequences. All prior diplomatic and deterrent efforts, according to Israel, had failed, while Iranian weapons programs continued to advance.

The ambassador clarified that Israel does not view the operation as the start of an endless conflict. Tel Aviv, he said, has a clearly defined objective — eliminating the existential threat.