Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s vow to eliminate Israel, noting the irony of the timing of the threats while Iran is negotiating a nuclear treaty with the United States.

“Today, the dictator of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posted this,” the premier said, holding up a newspaper. “The title is, ‘Why the Zionist regime (that’s Israel) must be eliminated from the region.'”

“So here you have the ruler of Iran openly declaring – again – that his goal is to destroy the State of Israel. And the most brazen thing about this is that he issues this while he’s negotiating – supposedly negotiating – peace with the United States.”

“Well, Israel will NOT be eliminated. What must be eliminated is Iran’s axis of terror and its nuclear weapons program. Not only for the sake of Israel, but for the sake of our entire region and for the sake of peace in our world,” he concluded.

Following initial nuclear talks between the US and Iran in Oman on Saturday, US President Donald Trump suggested that Iran was dragging its feet. “I think they’re tapping us along,” he said.

Both Iran and the US described the talks as “constructive” and “positive.” A second round of talks, likely to take place in Rome, is scheduled for Saturday.

“Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon. They cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “I want them to be a rich, great nation. The only thing is, one thing, simple, it’s really simple. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. And they’ve gotta go fast. Because they’re fairly close to having one, and they’re not going to have one.”

When asked if one of the options open to the US,if the deal fails, is to strike militarily, the president answered, “Of course.”

He added that Iran was “fairly close” to developing a nuclear weapon.