Tehran has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of threatening to use nuclear weapons against Iran following a speech the he made at the UN General Assembly last week

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"Eight years ago, the Western powers promised that if Iran violated the nuclear deal, the sanctions would be snapped back. Well, Iran is violating the deal, but the sanctions have not been snapped back. To stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions, this policy must change. Sanctions must be snapped back," Netanyahu said during his speech.

He warned of acting against Iran if it pursues its nuclear program, which is what prompted Tehran to submit a formal complaint to the UN.

Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons, but has never confirmed their existence.

"Above all, Iran must face a credible nuclear threat," Netanyahu continued, adding: "As long as I’m prime minister of Israel, I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons."

The Israeli prime minister’s office responded to Iran’s accusations, saying Netanyahu had "misread" the line and should have said a "credible military threat" instead of a "credible nuclear threat."

His office added that the speech was available in a PDF form on the UN General Assembly’s website.

Iran ignored the clarification and strongly condemned Netanyahu’s speech, warning Israel against any military action.

Israel usually keeps silent about its nuclear capabilities but is believed to possess between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads. 

"Considering that nuclear weapons are a threat to the existence of humanity and the planet, the severity of such a threat is incomparable and will cause a great shock to the international community, especially when such a threat comes from a credible forum," said Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani.

"The use or even the mere threat of using nuclear weapons, regardless of the circumstances, by anyone, at any time and in any place, is a clear violation of international laws," he added.

The envoy called on the international community to respond to and deter Israel’s threats against his country, stressing Iran’s right for a "decisive response to any threats and illegal actions caused" by what he called the Israeli regime.

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