Israel to attack Iran unless enrichment stops: minister

By Dan Williams
Fri Jun 6, 9:02 AM ET

JERUSALEM (Reuters)

An Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites looks "unavoidable" given the apparent failure of sanctions to deny Tehran technology with bomb-making potential, one of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's deputies said on Friday.

"If Iran continues with its program for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack it. The sanctions are ineffective," Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz told the mass-circulation Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

"Attacking Iran, in order to stop its nuclear plans, will be unavoidable," said the former army chief who has also been defense minister.

It was the most explicit threat yet against Iran from a member of Olmert's government, which, like the Bush administration, has preferred to hint at force as a last resort should U.N. Security Council sanctions be deemed a dead end.

Iran has defied Western pressure to abandon its uranium enrichment projects, which it says are for peaceful electricity generation rather than bomb-building. The leadership in Tehran has also threatened to retaliate against Israel -- believed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal -- and U.S. targets in the Gulf for any attack on Iran.

Mofaz also said in the interview that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel to be wiped off the map, "would disappear before Israel does."

A spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not address Mofaz's comments directly but said that "all options must remain on the table" and said more could be done to put financial pressure on Tehran.

"Israel believes strongly that while the U.N. sanctions are positive, much more needs to be done to pressure the regime in Tehran to cease its aggressive nuclear program," spokesman Mark Regev said.

"We believe the international community should be considering further tangible steps such as embargoing refined petroleum headed for Iran, sanctions against Iranian businessmen traveling abroad, tightening the pressure on Iranian financial institutions and other such steps," he added.

Mofaz's remarks came as he and several other senior members of Olmert's Kadima Party prepare for a possible run for top office should a corruption scandal force the Israeli prime minister to step down.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080606/wl_nm/israel_iran_mofaz_dc;_ylt=ApVBp03ufb7KGMAqMWnKXTas0NUE

McCain as commander in chief will defend Israel.

It will be Barak or Livni at best; Netanyahu at worst.

Mofaz is exceptionally aggressive on this subject; and I suspect that this may not be unconnected with the fact that he is an Iranian Jew by origin -he may have had very good reasons for leaving, which may make him feel particularly strongly about Iranian antisemites. Or of course this may have nothing to do with it; he may just be a typical hawk.

At any rate, I hope that the saner heads in both Israel and Iran prevail over the nuts.