Israeli prime minister calls for strike against Iran

Published time: March 18, 2011 09:29
Edited time: March 18, 2011 13:53
Benjamin Netanyahu (AFP Photo / Pool / Oliver Weiken)

If Tehran continues with its nuclear program, other nations should threaten it with military action, Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

­The sanctions imposed on Iran by the United Nations’ Security Council are not enough, the Israeli prime minister told CNN. He expressed concern that Iran may gain additional influence during the recent upheaval across the Middle East.

Iran should know that “if it fails to cooperate, there will be credible military actions,” Netanyahu said. He believes it is the only thing that could stop Tehran’s nuclear program.

According to the prime minister, such actions from the international community would knock out Iran’s nuclear facilities. If the strike is unavoidable and the decision is adopted, it would not be that difficult and would be “preferably” led by Washington, he noted.

Serious military action means that Iran’s entire nuclear potential would be destroyed. Otherwise, a nuclear Tehran will be threat not only to Israel, but to the US and Europe as well, the Israeli leader argued. In his words, Tehran is approaching the stage when it will be able to create nuclear weapons.

Iran has repeatedly said that its nuclear program is exclusively pursuing peaceful goals and no actions from other nations would stop it.

As Netanyahu spoke directly about the Iranian nuclear goals, he responded rather evasively to a question on whether or not Israel has nuclear weapons. The country’s policy is that it will not be “the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East,” he said.

As for Israel’s civil nuclear program, Netanyahu expressed his doubts about the current plans. In the wake of the nuclear plant crisis in Japan he has “reversed” his previous support for nuclear power, Itar-Tass reports.

Next week, the Israeli leader will have an opportunity to discuss further steps toward Iran with the Russian leadership. He will visit Moscow on March 24, his aide Alex Selsky announced on Friday.

However, Netanyahu is unlikely to gain support for his military plans against Iran in Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last month that rather than introduce further sanctions, Tehran should join the non-proliferation treaty. But Russia is insisting on Iran’s concrete steps that would convince other states that its nuclear program is only indented for civil purposes.

Comments (6)

Philo Cerenunnos Nichols 20.03.2011 15:46

Sir,
Do you have nuclear power in your nation? What gives certain people, or nations, the right to command the technological advancement, or non-advancement of others? In the past how many weapons has your government sold to the Iranian people? Have they ever attacked your nation? Who died and left you God's in chair? Perhaps, as in America, it would be better for you government officials to tend to tend to the affairs and needs of your own constituents. )O(

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PR101 20.03.2011 14:56

Russia can down play the fact after its dubious absenting vote in the UNSC resolution on the War on Libya- a war of aggression that has already killed dozens of civilians and wounded and maimed hundred and still counting- the first leader Mr. Medvedev is going to entertain in the Kremlin is Mr. Netanyahu! Russia can be counted on another absenting vote in the UNSC vote on the new war on Iran!

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Nicholas 19.03.2011 23:19

In the West we love to make fun of our political leadership. Yet how unseemly we might become, when confronted by the evidence of malevolent forces observably opposed to all the business of mankind, their 'princes and authorities' in all the earth. In all their benevolent likeness of direction and sincerity in each doing of every man,woman and child. Yes in all the 'princes and authorities' of the earth how unseemly we have become when we mock the fear in others that we might otherwise experience ourselves. So too the national and international position of Jerusalem and all her countries, which should come up about her both locally and internationally, so that she is not isolated in mocking fear nor in guilt with no assistance to insulation. So too the hope of men in false thoughts of  divination, hopes traduced by malevolent forces which deliberate exact articles and then refute those exact instructions, those exacting plans and scientific methods, as idolatries which distract attention. Which continue in beration with all the obedience to their instruction posted as the essential failure of the recipient of that remonstration. So too is much of all the description of strange and disastrous record in religious and historical instruction. Holocaust is injury, and there is no lesson in it. Flailing on the beaches, Jerusalem which received not encouragement toward regional competition that was the ceremonial tactical formations of its Royal Ancient Brotherhood in traditional warfare. Having escaped the emotional bondage and servitude that was Apharteid and the Irish troubles, how will we avail ourselves of another significant post WWII insult and injury to our own Nazi destroying prestige? The continuing inability of Israel to rationalize the metaphysics of Mediterranean Political Economy? Perhaps not with war against Iran...neither by feelings of hate for Israel and disdain for Palestinians.

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