The Israeli defense minister denied military intentions repeatedly when asked if Israel no longer had the military option it once had against Iraq’s Osirak reactor- because the Iranian program is too complex, too spread out and dug in too deep. Mofaz stressed that the maximum possible to delay or stop Iran’s nuclear capability must be achieved by diplomacy and UN Security Council pressure.
Also Sunday, the EU informed Tehran there will be no talks so long as Iran refuses to suspend its fuel cycle work. Talks were broken off in August after Iran resumed uranium conversion activities. Tehran has since announced it would soon embark on fresh nuclear fuel activities and was seeking foreign and domestic investors.
I suspect this means that Israel has accepted US multi-layered anti-missile defense, most likely on the prospect that if Iran launches, it missile(s) would be intercepted, then Iran would be given an ultimatum by the US and possibly others. By not conducting either a pre-emptive conventional attack, or a nuclear retaliation, Israel would be fianlly be free of its worst potential enemy. If the missile gets through, of course, all bets are off. |