Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran’s leadership of “unbelievable fanaticism” in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, part of which was released on Sunday.
Asked by host David Gregory whether Iran could be contained, like the Soviet Union was decades ago, Netanyahu said, “I think Iran is very different. They put their zealotry above their survival. They have suicide bombers all over the place. I wouldn't rely on their rationality.
“You know, since the advent of nuclear weapons, you have countries that had access to nuclear weapons who always made a careful calculation of cost and benefit,” he said. “But Iran is guided by a leadership with an unbelievable fanaticism.
“It's the same fanaticism that you see storming your embassies today,” he continued. “You want these fanatics to have nuclear weapons? I mean I heard some people suggest, David, I actually read this in the American press. They said, ‘Well, you know, if you take action, that's a lot worse than having Iran with nuclear weapons.’ Some have even said that Iran with nuclear weapons would stabilize the Middle East, stabilize the Middle East. I think the people who say this have set a new standard for human stupidity.”
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