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Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (AP)
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| By Associated Press January 18, 2006 |
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Israel's army chief has ruled out a pre-emptive attack against Iranian nuclear sites, despite that nation's apparent effort to build nuclear weapons, an Israeli newspaper reported Wednesday.
The international community has been scrambling to cobble together a program for pressuring Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. Iran removed U.N. seals from its main uranium enrichment facility Jan. 10 and resumed its research on nuclear fuel.
Iran says its program is simply meant to develop peaceful nuclear energy, but the West and Israel believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Israel considers Tehran to be its greatest threat, and recent statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calling for Israel's destruction have only fueled those fears.
Israel has been working to try to create an international coalition to pressure Iran to stop its nuclear program. A team of top Israeli security officials was in Russia on Wednesday to seek support against Tehran in the U.N. Security Council.
The Haaretz daily reported Wednesday that Israel was holding talks with U.S. and European officials about possible international sanctions to be applied to Iran. The proposals included an oil embargo in Iran, barring Iran's soccer team from the World Cup, denying visas to top Iranian officials and preventing Iranian aircraft from landing abroad, the newspaper reported.
Speaking at Haifa University on Tuesday night, Israeli Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said that Iran, Israel's sworn enemy, is the only remaining threat to the country's existence. However, Israel would not wage a military strike against Iran, he said.
"Even though we are talking about an immediate threat, we aren't the ones who should do this," he said, according to the Yediot Ahronot daily.
Last week, EU negotiators said two years of nuclear talks with Iran had reached a dead end and recommended the issue be referred to the Security Council. But the support of Russia and China for sanctions was uncertain.
Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that Israel will not allow a state "with hostile intentions against us to have control over weapons of mass destruction that can endanger our existence."
"I believe there is a way to guarantee that nonconventional weapons won't be found in irresponsible hands that can endanger world peace," Olmert said.
Israeli officials have said in recent months that they will not act unilaterally to stop Iran's nuclear program, but are relying on an international solution to the problem.
Europeans, backed by US, drafting resolution to refer Iran to Security Council
Pressure on Iran is intensifying, with key European countries and the United States moving ahead with plans to refer Tehran to the U.N. Security Council and Israel vowing not to let the Iranians develop nuclear weapons.
But Russia and China - Iran's past backers - urged negotiations on Tuesday instead of confrontation, casting doubt on whether next month's International Atomic Energy Agency meeting will demonstrate a unified political will.
A meeting Monday in London produced no agreement among the United States, France, Britain and Germany and Moscow and Beijing on whether to refer the dispute over Iranian nuclear enrichment to the Security Council, which could impose sanctions.
Past opposition to such action by Russia and China led the Europeans and the United States to postpone referral.
Russia and China have joined Europe and the U.S. in criticizing Iran's resumption of uranium enrichment. But both would prefer to avoid Security Council involvement and are outright opposed to sanctions.
A draft text by Britain proposing referral when the IAEA's 35-nation board of directors meets Feb. 2 reflected deference to the Russians and Chinese, stopping short of calls for punitive measures.
European nations have been willing to wait on referral in hopes Tehran's defiance would sway Moscow and Beijing.
The United States is the key backer of Security Council sanctions, but has thrown its weight behind the Europeans in hopes that time would work on its behalf in hardening anti-Iran sentiment.
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