'We will do our utmost to avoid Iran becoming North Korea,' says Israeli envoy to Seoul

Israeli Ambassador to Korea Rafael Harpaz speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Israeli Ambassador to South Korea Rafael Harpaz on Thursday defended ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran as a necessary measure to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal akin to North Korea’s, portraying Pyongyang’s nuclear buildup as a stark warning to the international community.

Speaking at a press briefing in Seoul, Harpaz said the operation against Iran was aimed primarily at halting its nuclear and ballistic missile programs before they reach what he described as an irreversible stage.

"Our goal is that Iran won’t have nuclear weapons, as it happened to North Korea. We will do our utmost to avoid Iran from becoming North Korea," the envoy said.

Harpaz drew parallels between Iran's current nuclear ambitions and North Korea's past nuclear development, arguing that international inaction decades ago allowed Pyongyang to advance its nuclear program.

"We learned the lessons from what happened here around 1994," Harpaz said, referring to the first North Korean nuclear crisis, when the United States considered a surgical strike on Pyongyang's nuclear facilities.

"I know the decision was not to take action. And now we have North Korea with 50 to 60 nuclear warheads."

The press conference came amid rapidly escalating military tensions in the Middle East following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Now in its sixth day, the conflict has largely centered on missile and drone strikes, but signs of possible ground operations are raising concerns about a protracted crisis.

The ambassador declined to discuss the possibility of a prolonged war or the deployment of Israeli ground forces, saying he could not comment on operational details.

During the hourlong briefing, Harpaz avoided describing the conflict as a "war," instead referring to it as Israel's "military operation."

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, in Lebanon, Thursday. AP-Yonhap

According to the envoy, the Israeli operation against Iran has two main objectives: eliminating remaining elements of Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and creating conditions that could allow the Iranian public to "get rid of the leadership's tyranny that they suffered for the last 47 years."

Harpaz said the campaign targets the Iranian regime rather than the Iranian people, adding that Israel hopes the conflict will allow Iranians to "take their destiny into their own hands" through regime change.

Harpaz also rejected criticism that the U.S.-Israeli preemptive strikes could unnerve North Korea, a close ally of Iran, and reinforce Pyongyang's justification for maintaining its nuclear arsenal.

"Israel supports fully South Korea's policy on North Korea, including the fact that we condemn North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons," he said.

Regarding South Korean nationals in Israel, Harpaz said Israeli authorities are closely coordinating with Seoul officials for their safety. About 600 South Koreans are currently in Israel, he said, and roughly 10 percent have expressed a desire to leave.

Around 60 South Koreans in Israel were evacuated by land to Egypt earlier this week in an operation led by the South Korean government.

"We did all the efforts to assist the safety of those that wanted to leave. We helped as they left safely from Israel," Harpaz said.