Asharq Al-Awsat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that he was “not surprised” by Iran’s announcement that it plans on increasing its nuclear enrichment capacity.

"Two days ago, Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, stated his intention to destroy the State of Israel," Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media.

"Yesterday he explained how he would do it -- by unlimited enrichment of uranium to create an arsenal of nuclear bombs."

"We’re not surprised," Netanyahu said in the video from Paris, where he was to meet French President Emmanuel Macron.

"We won’t let Iran obtain nuclear weapons."

The Israeli PM had arrived in Europe on Monday in a bid to rally support from key allies for amending the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and for pushing Iranian forces out of neighboring Syria.

He told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Iran’s meddling in the Middle East could lead to a new massive wave of refugees headed to Europe.

Merkel said she agreed that Iran’s activities in the Middle East were a concern, particularly for Israel’s security.

“We support Israel’s right to security and have said this to Iran at all times,” she said. “We have the same goal that Iran must never get a nuclear weapon and the difference between us is how to do that.”

Iran on Monday notified the International Atomic Energy Agency of its plan to open a center for the production of new centrifuges to be used for uranium enrichment, according to the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi.

Salehi stressed the announcement did not mean they will start assembling the centrifuges, and "does not violate the (2015 nuclear) agreement" between Tehran and world powers.

Under the 2015 agreement, Iran can build parts for the centrifuges as long as it does not put them into operation within the first decade.

On Sunday, Khamenei called Israel a "malignant cancerous tumor" that should be removed.

On Monday, he ordered preparations to increase uranium enrichment capacity if the nuclear agreement falls apart and he vowed never to accept limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program.

European signatories are scrambling to save the accord, which they see as crucial to forestalling an Iranian nuclear weapon.