UK & World News
- 31 January 2012, 16:57
'Time Running Out' For Military Strike On Iran
Israeli officials say no decision has been made on military action against Iran's nuclear programme, despite reports that the window for a pre-emptive strike is closing.
A government source told Sky News "all options remain on the table" but refused to comment on growing media speculation that a strike would take place by the summer of 2012.
Israel's defence minister Ehud Barak has warned that "time is urgently running out" to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
He said the Iranians are "deliberately drifting into what we call an immunity zone where practically no surgical operation could stop them."
Mr Barak was referring to Iran's efforts to move critical elements of its nuclear programme - including uranium enrichment - deep underground.
Iran's main enrichment site at Fordo, near Qom, is beneath 90 metres of rock, perhaps beyond the reach of even the huge bunker-busting bombs Israel is known to possess in its arsenal.
Tehran claims it is developing nuclear technology for civilian purposes but the latest report from the UN's nuclear watchdog said Iran was carrying out work that could only be related to the future development of a nuclear weapon.
Unnamed Israeli defence officials quoted by the Associated Press said even a strike right now would probably only delay Iran's nuclear ambitions by two or three years rather than halt them altogether.
Another consideration is the reaction to such a strike.
Iran is likely to retaliate directly - firing missiles towards Israel - and through its regional allies.
The Iranian-sponsored Lebanese militia Hizbollah could fire a hail of rockets into Israel, Hamas could also step up rocket fire from Gaza.
The risk of regional conflagration is being weighed by Israel against the dangers of a nuclear Iran.
Publicly, the Israeli government still favours diplomacy and sanctions to bring Iran into line.
That could also be the position privately, with all of the sabre rattling part of the necessary pressure to bring the international community together to act.
There is also awareness that Israel will need a green light and military back-up from Washington and President Obama would probably prefer to wait until after the US election in November.
The bottom line, according to most analysts, is that Israel is never going to lay out a timetable for action.
It needs to keep the threat of it ever present but when - and if - a military strike comes, Tehran will not get notice first.
what do you think?
Davefly Theuniuonflagbrown
Oh dear. Looks like the big one is on the horizon! Get ready for the "Its 2012" loonies to come out of the dark and start telling us its the end of the world. May be the end of the middle east as we know it. Possibly the en of Isrealalthough no one would miss them..,..
holly gardner
the israelis are hypocrites, they complain about the holocaust but its ok for them to murder, take lands off the palestinins, they are committing a holocaust, also isolating the palestinians with the illegal walls, where is the UN hiding, do they not see this, then again the UN is run by the americans and its poodle britain
hamish kay
This comment has been removed for violations of our Terms and Conditions.
hamish kay
HOLLY YOU ARE COMPLETELY WRONG. THE FRENCH AND BRITISH POST WW2 LOST INFLUENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST DUE TO AMERICAN AND SOVIET BULLYING. THE BRITISH WANTED TO KEEP MANDATE OF PALESTINE. IT WAS THE JEWISH LOBBYISTS IN USA THAT GOT ISRAEL CREATED AS A STATE VIA BULLYING AT UNITED NATIONS. IT IS AMERICA THAT HAS ARMED ISRAEL. IF THAT WAS A BRITISH COLONY STILL IT WOULD BE DE-MILITARISED PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS ALIKE WITH DIVIDE AND RULE PHILOSPHY LIKE ROMAN EMPIRE. NOT IDEAL BUT WORKS. THE ISRAELI STATE IS NOT ILLEGAL THE UNITED NATIONS BACKED IT POST WORLD WAR 2. IF THE BRITISH WERE INTELLIGENT LIKE IN VICTORIAN TIMES WE WOULD HAVE GREATER INFLUENCE THERE. BLAIR,BROWN, BUSH HAVE SEVERED ALL OUR FORMER ALLIES THERE IN NAME OF OIL, BANKING, ARMS INDUSTRIES.
hamish kay
WHO CARES ABOUT THE PALESTINIAN MUZZIES? NOT ME THAT IS FOR SURE. NOR DO I CARE FOR JEWISH, CHRISTIANS ETC. THERE IS NO PROOF THE BIBLE EXISTED OR IS RIGHT. LET ALL THE RELIGIOUS NUTTERS KILL THEMSELVES. WE DON'T NEED OIL, OR WARS. STAN MEYERS WATER FUEL CELLS CAN RUN CARS, TESLA MAGNETIC GRAVITY GENERATORS FOR ELECTRICITY. NO STOCK MARKETS NEEDED, NO DEFENCE CONTRACTORS NEEDED. RELIGIONS ARE JUST BRAIN WASHING TOOLS TO CONTROL THE MASSES. GET A BLOOD PURIFIER THAT CURES MALARIA 200 QUID OFF NET. THE CHURCH FAILS TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THAT AND MALARIA IS BIGGEST KILLER IN AFRICA. PHARM COMPANIES PROP UP STOCK MARKETS WHERE RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS STORE THERE WEALTH. RELIGION IS JUST STUPID. TIME PPL REALISED IT IS 100% BRAINWASHING AND USED BY POLITICAL ELITE TO CONTROL PEOPLE.
Peter Schabel
Holly are you saying the israelis took land that did not belong to them well so did the americans and look what they do now they go to war with anybody or for any country that has oil or other usefull minerals that will aid them the best thing the british goverment can do is stay out of other peoples buisness and let them get on with it and not get drawn into anymore wars with who ever unless it is in defence of this country.
hamish kay
YOU ARE ALL PARTLY THERE. DEFENCE LISTINGS, OIL COMPANIES, ENERGY COMPANIES PROP UP THE WEST. IN STATES LIKE OHIO THE LAST REMAINING INDUSTRIES ARE THE ARMS INDUSTRIES. AND THEY NEED A WAR TO START USA ECONOMY. DE-INDUSTRIALISATION IN THE WEST DUE TO THE CLASS SYSTEM AND UNIONS IS WHY WE NEED WARS. EVERY OTHER CONSUMER GOOD IS MADE IN CHINA. SO THE STOCKMARKETS THE BASTIONS OF CAPITALISM NEED A WAR. I SAY GO BANKRUPT AND START AGAIN WITH BORDERS UP AND NO CHINESE IMPORTS ETC IF WALL STREET AND CITY COLLAPSE SO BE IT. IT IS JUST DEBT ON A SCREEN NO BIG DEAL IN ESSENCE.
Robert Burns
Just because the creation of Israel can be squared with paper thin UN legality does not make it right. We should not forget that Israel has been illegally nuclear armed by the US and its allies and has a large arsenal of chemical and biological weapons (also illegal). But we don't have to worry about Israel for much longer (in historical terms at least). Many Iraelis now refuse to do military service that takes them outside Irael's borders, or do military service at all. Further, when a society (or political system) retreats behind physical barriers (like the 'wall' in the West Bank territory) this is symptomatic of internal social and political collapse. Unlike all other states in the region Israel is facing the same demographic time bomb (low birth rate, aging population) as Western Europe, North America and Mainland China. Consequently, the Israeli economy depends on Palestinian labour and this dependance increases every year. The leadership of Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah know that they don't have to defeat the Iraeli armed forces, they just have to keep Irael 'engaged' and this will wear the Iraelis out - Arab victory is assured, it is just a matter of time.
david p
oh Holly, what a naive person you are..................
David Wragg
No country gives details of how, when or why it would resort to nuclear weapons - that is part of the deterrent effect. Like it or not, no matter how sympathetic one might be to the Palestinians in their plight, it is Iran and its allies that usually make the threats. As one Israeli politician once said, 'If the Arabs laid down their arms, there would be peace; if Israel laid down its arms, there would be no Israel.'
david p
well said!
John Thomson
Never heard so much tosh. Israel will bide their time, but when that time comes, (and that could be soon) they will take whatever action they deem necessary to protect their country with or without the backing of the west. Oh, and just as a matter of historical accuracy, the americans did not "steal", their country, the English and the French did that. Some things never change. Just something to ponder, the guy in charge of Iran is an absolute nutter. Who in their right mind would want him in control of a .22 pistol never mind nuclear weapons?
holly gardner
1:06pm on 31/1/2012
no wander iran wants to wipe israel off the map of the world, can you blame them, the illiegal zionist state should never have existed and guess who created the mess, yes the british
Malcolm Charlesworth
1:44pm on 31/1/2012
Actually it was the UN.