Barak Denies Opposing Iran War

Downplays US-Israel Split, Insists His Position Is Identical to Netanyahu's

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak today rejected reports that he is no longer in favor of attacking Iran, saying that the recent media reports to that effect are untrue and that he “always sees eye to eye” with hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Barak also sought to end the speculation about a policy split with the US, saying that the US always respects Israel’s right to “decide for itself” on questions of war and reiterating that “all options are on the table” against Iran.

He also lashed the Israeli press for in-depth reporting on the possibility of the war, saying that it is “far beyond what is desirable” and that the claims of US opposition are “exaggerated.”

Barak made it clear what his formal position of the war is, which is that it will happen unless Iran abandons every aspect of its civilian nuclear program, and that Israel will decide unilaterally when to attack.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.