The threat perception of Iran's nuclear program to Israel has been relegated to the second position with Pakistan and Afghanistan being identified as the biggest threat to the Jewish nation, according to the new Israeli foreign minister.
In his first interview to a Russian daily after taking charge, Israel's hardliner Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said that since he began warning against the nuclear threat from Iran, nuclear threats have become more prevalent. However, he said, a more serious problem has developed in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
With an unstable nuclear-armed Pakistan faced with a potential Taliban takeover and Afghanistan facing a resurgent Taliban and Al-Qaida, the combination formed a contiguous area of radicalism ruled in the spirit of Bin Laden, he said.
"I do not think that this makes anyone in China, Russia or the United States happy... these countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan) are a threat not only to Israel, but also to the global order as a whole," he added.
Iran was not Israel's greatest strategic threat, rather Afghanistan and Pakistan were, he emphasized, while stating that the strategic threat coming from Iraq was ranked as the third most important issue of concern for his country.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.