Speaking in an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Amb. Weiss shed light on Israel's grave concerns regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions, the ongoing conflict, and the broader implications for regional and global stability.
"Any country has the right, not only the right, the obligation, for self-defence of its people," she asserted.
The interview, conducted two days before the U.S. struck three Iranian nuclear sites, highlighted Israel's long-standing warnings and its determination to neutralise what it perceives as an imminent existential threat.
Amb. Weiss revealed that the conversation was taking place during a "massive attack by Iran" targeting civilian areas in Israel, resulting in dozens of injuries. She expressed regret that the international community had not heeded Israel's warnings about Iran's nuclear program over the past three decades.
Imminent nuclear threat and ballistic missile program
According to the envoy, Israel recently detected Iran's rapid progression towards acquiring nuclear weapons, prompting its actions, which she insists are in self-defence.
"Iran had or held a mass that can create nine nuclear bombs in a very short period," she stated, emphasising that "from the moment we realised it to the moment Iran could have held nuclear bombs, it could be days."
She explained that Iran possessed enough 60% enriched uranium to produce nine nuclear bombs, with the final enrichment stages taking only days.
Two days after the interview, President Donald Trump disclosed that his administration had obliterated three Iranian nuclear sites in a surprise attack.
'Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,' Trump declared. 'Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear capacity and to eliminate the threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror."
Beyond the nuclear threat, Amb. Weiss detailed Iran's extensive ballistic missile program. Israeli intelligence indicates that Iran is preparing to produce approximately 3,000 ballistic missiles per year, capable of reaching 2,000 kilometers.
"There's no country in the world, even Israel, of course, in the size of Israel, and even much, much bigger countries in size, that can hold an attack of, let's say, an accumulation of 3,000 in a year," she stressed.
For Israel, this dual threat has rendered the situation "imminent," placing the security of the state at grave risk.
Amb. Weiss noted that Israel's operations in Iran are highly surgical, meticulously targeting elements of Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs.
"The attacks are very much to the, I would say, really surgical elements of harming the elements of the nuclear program and the ballistic programs," she explained.
She reiterated Israel's stance that it "will do whatever it takes to remove the threat from the table."
The ambassador also highlighted the recent elimination of nine nuclear researchers and scientists, emphasising the importance of targeting expertise to hinder the program's resumption.
"The biggest problem is that when you have people who are experts, even if you take down the targets and you don't take down the experts, the resumption of the program will be very fast," she noted.
U.S. collaboration and international responsibility
Amb. Weiss affirmed Israel's strong and continuous collaboration with the U.S. government.
"We are in touch with the US government, and we are in touch with them, and of course, we're working in accordance with conversations, and we're not alone flyers in the world," she stated.
She underscored that the decision to act was not made lightly but out of the understanding that "there's no time to wait anymore."
The envoy criticised countries that have supported Iran in multilateral arenas, arguing that such support undermines international safety and prosperity.
Ambassador Weiss also pointed to the recent declaration by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran is a non-compliant state, validating Israel's long-held concerns about Iran's refusal to cooperate with international inspectors.
Ambassador Weiss characterised the Iranian regime as "disturbing, malign, terroristic" and responsible for direct threats not only to Israel but to the entire Middle East, Western countries, and Africa through its proxies and terror cells.
She stated that removing the regime was not a declared target of the current operation, but acknowledged that such a development would "benefit the entire world."
Amb. Weiss refuted any comparison between Iran and other regimes, asserting that the internal unrest within Iran is unrelated to Israel and stems from the regime's long history of repression against its own people. She detailed the economic hardship faced by Iranians, contrasting it with the regime's allocation of billions to terror entities.
Warning of Iran's actions, the ambassador emphasised that Iran's aspirations extend beyond Israel, noting its ballistic missiles are capable of reaching Europe and citing a stated goal to "hit the US, we want to hit Israel, and we want to hit the West... heavily."
She warned of a "massive, massive threat not only to Israel, of course, but to the entire world" if Iran were to possess nuclear warheads.
Discussing regional dynamics, Ambassador Weiss noted that relations between Israel and the Abraham Accords countries have remained unaffected since October 7, indicating a shared concern about Iran's actions. She believes that a Middle East without a nuclear-armed Iran would lead to greater stability.
Amid the escalating conflict, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has accused Israel of initiating the current conflict and making a "grave error" that will lead to their "ruin." Iranian officials consistently label Israeli actions as "clear and flagrant breaches of international law" and "unprovoked aggression."
Watch the full interview below:
Wycliffe Nyamasege
