We're Not Contemplating an Iran Strike...

We're Not Contemplating An Iran Strike'
08.17.2009

*Israeli Ambassador to the United States Dr. Michael Oren said Sunday that Israel was "far from even contemplating" an attack against Iran's nuclear installations.

Asked by CNN's Fareed Zakaria whether former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton's recent assessment that Israel would attack Iran before the end of the year was accurate, Oren replied "I don't think it's true, I think that we are far from even contemplating such things right now."

"The government of Israel has supported [US] President [Barack] Obama in his approach to Iran, initially the engagement, the outreach to Iran..."

When the interviewer dismissed Oren's statement saying "it is well known that the government of Israel is deeply uncomfortable and nervous with the idea of engagement with Iran," Oren replied "We were, but we were greatly comforted during [Israeli] prime minister [Binyamin Netanyahu]'s visit here in May, when the president told the prime minister [that] shortly there would be a serious reassessment of the engagement policy before the end of the year, and we are further reassured now, that the end of the year deadline has been moved up to September [and] we actually have a date when it's going to occur."

According to Oren, "We are comforted by the fact that the [US] administration, in the aftermath of recent events in Iran, has exhibited greater willingness to consider formulating a package of sanction against Iran even now, in advance of the reassessment."

Oren was referring to the violent crackdown of the Iranian government against reformists in the wake of an election which was seen by many Iranian opposition members as rigged by the regime.

Israel has remained vague on its intentions regarding Iran, but the IDF has been conducting comprehensive training missions for both the Navy and the Israel Air Force.

Recently a navy submarine reportedly capable of launching nuclear tipped sea-to-land torpedo missiles crossed the Suez Canal to the Red Sea in what was interpreted by analysts and neighboring countries as an overt message to Iran that its ships in the Persian Gulf were within reach.

In addition, the IAF last year conducted a massive drill in cooperation with Greece, where long range sorties were practiced. Greece, a friendly country, owns the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile defense system, a system which Iran is also trying to procure.

According to foreign media sources, one of the drill's goals was to test the system's capabilities.

Israel's current and previous administrations have refused to take off the table the military option in preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear armed country."

I guess we'll see, won't we? Time will tell...
Baruch atem b'Shem, Yeshua