(Bloomberg) -- Iran is continuing to lie to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the agency’s “capitulation” to Iranian pressure is a “black stain” on its conduct, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. 

IAEA inspectors had raised concerns in March over the presence of uranium particles enriched to 84% levels of purity — close to weapons grade — and chided Iran’s slow response to separate investigations. On Wednesday, agency inspectors wrote they “had no further questions” about the presence of those highly-enriched particles and accepted Iran’s explanation.

Uranium enriched to 90% is needed for nuclear weapons.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that Israel had revealed information to the world five years ago that unequivocally proved that Iran violates the agency’s inspection agreements, and that its nuclear program is for military, not civilian, purposes.

“Iran’s excuses since then regarding the finding of nuclear material in prohibited locations are not only unreliable, they are technically impossible,” the prime minister said. “The IAEA’s ineffectual conduct in the face of these weak excuses conveys a message to Iran’s rulers that they need not pay any price whatsoever for their violations, and that they can continue deceiving the international community with their efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.”

Israel’s military chief warned less than two weeks ago that the country may act against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Tehran denies that it aims to build nuclear bombs. 

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