US attack in Iran firm but needed, says Polish president
Andrzej Duda, the Polish president, has said that the US attack against Iranian nuclear sites should be seen as a response to Iran's development of its nuclear programme, as it may lead to its possession of a dangerous nuclear weapon.
"The US response in Iran was very determined. We believe that it was simply necessary, especially in the case of the Fordo facility," Duda told reporters after a meeting with President Jakov Milatovic of Montenegro in Podgorica on Monday.
The US attacks came after a week of open conflict between Israel and Iran, sparked by Israel's sudden barrage of attacks against Iran's nuclear and military structure. The US struck three uranium enrichment facilities in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
"If the US has got engaged and made an intervention in the Iranian nuclear programme in such a strong way, it is obvious to me that the US attack has confirmed the concerns voiced earlier about Iran's plans to obtain nuclear weapons, which could pose a threat not only to the Middle East but also to the world," Duda said.
The Polish president underlined that it was not only Israel and the US that had been speaking about the threat but that the same concerns had been voiced by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which repeatedly reported that Iran had been conducting research in breach of earlier agreements.
Duda expressed hope that this firm and determined action would make "the sides sit at the negotiating table, cool down the situation, calm down the conflict, and, above all, end it."
"We want this conflict to end as we cannot imagine its further escalation. And I hope that it will end soon," Duda said, adding that talks regarding the Middle East conflict would surely be held during a NATO summit in The Hague, starting on Tuesday.
Duda also said that the EU's response to the US actions was adequate.
President Milatovic also voiced hope that a solution to the Middle East conflict would be found at the negotiating table and underlined that Montenegro's policy regarding the Middle East and Ukraine had been coordinated with EU policy.
Israeli strikes began on June 13. Targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, they killed several top military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. (PAP)
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