Israel hints at a military strike on Iran

1/27/2005 12:30:00 PM GMT

Israel's Defence Minister refused on Wednesday to dismiss the possibility of launching a military strike on Iran, claiming that Tehran was "close to a point of no return" on its alleged nuclear weapons program.

Addressing journalists in London, Shaul Mofaz didn’t dismiss U.S. Vice-President, Dick Cheney’s predictions, when suggested last week that Israel might decide to strike Iran, targeting it’s nuclear facilities without being asked to.

"I believe that none of the Western countries can live with Iran having a nuclear capability - not the U.S., not the European countries and nor other countries," said the Israeli defense minister.

However, he claimed that the "first step" to resolve Iran’s nuclear issue would be trying the diplomatic way.

The U.S. and Israel accuse Iran of covertly trying to develop a nuclear weapons program, claims Iran has repeatedly rejected as false, affirming that its nuclear program is solely used for peaceful purposes.

On the other hand, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman rejected the Israeli claims and accused it of trying to divert the world’s attention from its nuclear program.

"No goal by the Iranian side for a civilian programme. Their goal is to achieve a military programme", Mofaz claimed.

Mr. Mofaz said: "Although there are some achievements by the suspension of the military programme, there is not a full stop."

"The way to stop Iran is by the leadership of the U.S., supported by European countries and taking this issue to the UN, and using the diplomatic channel with sanctions as a tool and a very deep inspection regime and full transparency," he added.

Asked what would Israel’s next option be in case diplomatic channels failed, Mr. Mofaz answered: "The U.S. is a strong power that can stop any kind of nuclear programme, especially in the hands of an extreme regime."

The Israeli minister, moreover, expressed pessimism regarding the outcome of negotiations with Tehran, which he said had been "buying time" through talks with the EU-big three; Britain, France and Germany.

Echoing previous comments made by the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, saying that Iran has the capability of producing a nuclear bomb in three years, Mofaz said that the Islamic Republic is "less than a year" from enriching uranium, which he says was the "point of no return" towards making a nuclear bomb.

Chief of Israel's Mossad intelligence warned earlier this week that Iran is expected to have a full capability of developing nuclear weapons programme by the end of this year.

Also head of Israel's parliamentary security and foreign affairs committee, Yuval Steinitz said that the warnings are urgent.

"The Iranian very ambitious nuclear program is combined with a very ambitious ballistic missile program and the real aim of this is not becoming a regional nuclear power, but a global nuclear superpower and if this will happen a dark curtain will cover the Middle East and Europe and the rest of the world," he said.

Up till now, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, hasn’t found any evidence that Tehran is preparing for a nuclear weapons program.

Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, but it never confirmed or denied their existence. Israel refused to sign the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty.