On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said an attack on Iran must always remain an option for Israel, even if the country acts alone.
“I do think we always have to prepare the option for the moment when we may find ourselves alone,” Gantz told the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronoth. “I say again, an attack [against Iran] is an option. It doesn’t have to be the first one.”
Gantz’s comments come as the US and Iran are holding indirect negotiations in Vienna to revive the nuclear deal, which Israel opposes. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call Thursday that the US should put an “immediate halt” to the negotiations.
Leading up to the talks, Israeli officials stepped up their threats against Iran. While Israel frequently carries out covert attacks on Iran, the recent rhetoric suggests Israel is planning a more overt military strike.
The head of the Israeli Defense Forces has said the military is “accelerating” plans to attack Iran. Last month, the Israeli government reportedly approved a $1.5 billion boost to the military budget that will go towards preparing to attack Iran.
Israeli officials frame their plans for attacking Iran as the only way to stop the Islamic Republic from acquiring a nuclear bomb. But if that was their real concern, Israel would favor a revival of the Iran nuclear deal instead of constantly working against it.
Americans. Be prepared. It seems Israel, your master, has decided.
You are going to be sent to burning chambers
Israel knows that if it attacks Iran, US forces will be easily entrained by support from 99% of US media and politicians
Yes Israel, go for it. You’ve been declaring yourself threatened by Iran since 1984. You have lots of weapons from the U.S., including nuclear weapons – which is against our laws as well as international law. So stop being a victim. Stand up for yourselves.
Just leave the rest of us out of it. No more money from us. No more weapons from us. No more of our sons and daughters fighting and dying for you on foreign soils. It’s time for you to put up or shut up… on your own two feet.
I AM INCLINED TOWARD YOUR POSITION YET I AM FEARFUL THAT ISRAEL WOULD NOT HESITATE TO USE THE WEAPONS IN THEIR ARSENAL.
And the guilt of that would be ours as we gave them those weapons without following International law or American law on the subject.
America first… right after Israel.
Harsh but true…
“Gave them”-JFK was quite hostile to the Idea.
It is a fact the zionist would use a nuke because they could not defeat Iran in a conventional war.
Very sound reasoning JJ.
Iran has a 10 to 1 population advantage, and a demonstrated willingness to sacrifice their own people.
Iran can develop a cobalt bomb. A bomb that would pollute the entire world and kill all life and then threaten its use should they ever be attacked. Sort of like Dr. Strangelove.
Can? I guess. But Iran has no nuclear weapons program at all. Indeed, they have publicly and consistently called for Israel to disarm in order to formally declare the Middle East a nuclear weapons-free zone and have condemned weapons of mass destruction in general.
Having the ability to enrich Uranium to weapons grade purity and/or the ability to produce Plutonium is a definite “can.”
Sure, but they do not and more likely than not, never have had a military dimension to their nuclear program. Such a diversion would be detected immediately, particularly under the JCPOA inspection terms. The dearth of evidence of a weapons program is congruous with their longstanding anti-nuclear weapon rhetoric. Khamenei has repeatedly and publicly regarded them as sinful and forbidden (haram) for any Islamic nation. There have been dissenting Ayatollahs and military leaders in the years since the Revolution, but they never guided policy. All concerns about the Iranian nuclear program are baseless.
By that logic, the smartest thing Iran can do is get its mitts on The Bomb, as that is the only thing that will make Israel back off of its aggressive position.
Hi Finster:
As much as I loathe the idea of any more nuclear weapons, you make a point that requires some consideration.
To be honest, Israel has been engaging in cyberwarfare and cowardly assassinations of nuclear scientists for years. Since there is no Iranian nuclear weapons program, the whole concern about Iran getting nuclear weapons is baseless. Israel is the only nation in the Middle East with nukes. Make it make sense.
Better 100 dead nuclear scientists than a few million dead citizens-smart, not cowardly. When soldiers dig a foxhole are they cowardly?
So how many nuclear scientists does Israel have, and how OK are you with sacrificing them?
yeah jake, hand them over
Very funny-the regular use of the term “Israhell” on this site isacceptable to you as MOD, but my perhaps not wise use of a similar term for Palestinians is rapidly squashed.
Israel is a state. Palestinian is an ethnicity. Our guidelines don’t prohibit slurs against states. They do prohibit slurs against ethnicities. If you want to insult the State of Palestine, feel free to go for it. You don’t get to call the Palestinian people names just as nobody else gets to call the Jewish people names.
You yourself said that there are Palestinian Arabs and Jews.(and Christians, and Druze-these are all discrete ethnicities.Palestine was as state, and was recognized under Turkish and British rule. A Palestinian state will be overwhelmingly populated and controled by Palestinian Arab Moslems
Actually, a Palestinian state IS overwhelmingly populated and controlled by Palestinian Muslims.
And you’re free to criticize that state without ethnic slurs about some or all of its inhabitants, just like others are free to criticize Israel without ethnic slurs about some or all of its inhabitants.
Israel is a state. Palestinian is an ethnicity. Our guidelines don’t prohibit slurs against states. They do prohibit slurs against ethnicities. If you want to insult the State of Palestine, feel free to go for it. You don’t get to call the Palestinian people names just as nobody else gets to call the Jewish people names.
Israel is a state. Palestinian is an ethnicity. Our guidelines don’t prohibit slurs against states. They do prohibit slurs against ethnicities. If you want to insult the State of Palestine, feel free to go for it. You don’t get to call the Palestinian people names just as nobody else gets to call the Jewish people names.
During WW2, the US assasinated a Japanese Admiral while he was flying somewhere-perfectly fine.This is the same story-war is bad, but those who plan it and facilitate it are also subject to risk.
Nazis used similar logic to justify the Holocaust.
Idiot , do you have any idea what it takes to build a nuke , the same B.S was used in WW2 when it was said the Nazis where building a nuke the fact was they were years away from building a nuke bomb and the Americans / Brits new it.
And that’s ALL that is stopping Iran from nuking Israel? Or at least when those imaginary nukes turn real? So, what would Iran expect in return if they were to manage to finally achieve their maniacal goal, that you constantly claim, of wiping Israel off the map? Business as usual? Or would they be a parking lot within hours? You continuously contradict yourself by saying Iran is showing patience and playing the long game as if they have some master plan to rule the region while seemingly never pondering the fact that they would no longer exist to enjoy that long sought after hegemony.
The Iranians need not immediately use their nukes once they have them.Under a nuclear umbrella,
A long term.prolonged, pesty series of conventional missiles, a few a day, every day for months or years can drive their enemies out.
“Better 100 dead nuclear scientists than a few million dead citizens”
This is what you said and what I replied to. So, is it those “pesky series of conventional missiles” that will kill the millions or their imaginary nukes? You can’t even remember what bullshit to spew. Check your hasbara list next time.
But since the Iranians have no nuclear weapons program while Israel does, your whole concern is baseless as well as moronic. Let’s also reiterate how disgusting you are for supporting the murder of Iranian scientists in front of their children. You should be ashamed of yourself but Hasbarists know no shame. It’s why they are Hasbarists.
Killing people in front of their kids is definitely cowardly and you are disgusting to support it. Since Iran has no nuclear weapons program and Israel does, your millions of dead citizens comment is stupid.
Who is stopping Israel from doing anything? If it’s war with Iran you want, you’re more than capable of doing that on your own. Go for it. See what happens. Iran has a lot of options of its own. F around and find out.
Tiger Paper Talks… By the same token, Iran’s counter attack on Israel must always be an option….!
Iran ‘Won’t Be Alone’ If U.S. or Israel Attacks, Russian Official Says https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/06/26/iran-wont-be-alone-if-us-attacks-russian-official-says-a66169
Top US General Says American Troops Should Be Ready To Die For Israel
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-03-19/top-us-general-says-american-troops-should-be-ready-die-israel