Netanyahu warns Ban over Iran summit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday that he would be making “a big mistake” if he attended an international summit in Iran. “Mr Secretary General, you do not belong in Tehran,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office quoted the premier as telling Ban in a telephone conversation. “The prime minister criticised the secretary general’s trip and said he did not see any reason for his visit to a country whose rulers are anti-Semitic and have the goal of destroying Israel,” it added. Official Iranian news agency IRNA said on Sunday that Ban had accepted an invitation to an August 30-31 Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran. It said that the leaders of Russia and Turkey were also invited but it did not say if they had accepted. The UN has so far not confirmed that Ban plans to attend. Netanyahu’s office quoted him as telling Ban that “even if it is not your intention, your visit to Iran will give legitimacy to a regime which represents the biggest threat to world peace and security.” “Not only is it a threat to countries throughout the Middle East, not only is it the largest exporter of terrorism around the world, it is impossible to overstate the danger it poses to Israel,” he said. Israel, the sole if undeclared nuclear power in the Middle East, says Iran’s nuclear programme poses an existential threat and has refused to rule out military action to halt Tehran’s nuclear activity. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful. The NAM is a grouping of 120 countries which consider themselves not formally part of the world’s major power blocs. Russia and Turkey are not members but Moscow has observer status.