JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday blamed Iran and its "protege" Hezbollah of carrying out the twin bomb attacks on Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia, accusing Tehran of being the "world's largest terror exporter".
Addressing lawmakers of his Likud Party, Netanyahu said, "In all those cases, the elements behind these attacks were Iran and its protege Hezbollah."
"Today we witnessed two more terror attacks - in India and Georgia. Iran, which is behind these two attacks, is the world's largest terror exporter. The government of Israel and its security services will continue to cooperate with local authorities against Iran's global terror," he added.
Netanyahu said that other attacks in recent months in Azerbaijan, Thailand and elsewhere were thwarted.
In the past, Iran has accused Israel of being involved in a series of killings of it nuclear scientists involved in its controversial atomic programme.
Earlier, reacting to the incidents, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman has said that his country "will not allow terrorism to affect its agenda".
"It just shows that Israel and its citizens face terror inside and outside of Israel," Liberman said.
"We deal with it every day. We know how to identify exactly who is responsible for the attack and who carried it out," he added in an apparent reference to Lebanese Shi'ite faction Hezbollah.
"We will not allow this to affect our agenda," he asserted. Israel's Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Yigal Palmor, confirmed the attack saying that the ministry was "looking into the incident and cooperation with local security forces is excellent".
The incident in New Delhi comes a day after the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah deputy leader, Imad Mughniyah, who was killed in a car bomb attack. The Shi'ite Lebanese faction had blamed Israel for the assassination, vowing to avenge the same.
Israel's bureau of counter-terrorism has been constantly warning its citizens and missions abroad around the time of Mughniyeh's death anniversary of a possible attack. — PTI
Addressing lawmakers of his Likud Party, Netanyahu said, "In all those cases, the elements behind these attacks were Iran and its protege Hezbollah."
"Today we witnessed two more terror attacks - in India and Georgia. Iran, which is behind these two attacks, is the world's largest terror exporter. The government of Israel and its security services will continue to cooperate with local authorities against Iran's global terror," he added.
Netanyahu said that other attacks in recent months in Azerbaijan, Thailand and elsewhere were thwarted.
In the past, Iran has accused Israel of being involved in a series of killings of it nuclear scientists involved in its controversial atomic programme.
Earlier, reacting to the incidents, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman has said that his country "will not allow terrorism to affect its agenda".
"It just shows that Israel and its citizens face terror inside and outside of Israel," Liberman said.
"We deal with it every day. We know how to identify exactly who is responsible for the attack and who carried it out," he added in an apparent reference to Lebanese Shi'ite faction Hezbollah.
"We will not allow this to affect our agenda," he asserted. Israel's Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Yigal Palmor, confirmed the attack saying that the ministry was "looking into the incident and cooperation with local security forces is excellent".
The incident in New Delhi comes a day after the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah deputy leader, Imad Mughniyah, who was killed in a car bomb attack. The Shi'ite Lebanese faction had blamed Israel for the assassination, vowing to avenge the same.
Israel's bureau of counter-terrorism has been constantly warning its citizens and missions abroad around the time of Mughniyeh's death anniversary of a possible attack. — PTI
