Israeli President Confirms Attack on Iran “Soon”

Israeli-Iranian Standoff

An US military official on Friday expressed concern that Israel may attack the Iranian nuclear facilities without informing the United States. In an interview for CNN the official said that in the past the American military was sure to receive a warning from Israel in case it had such a plan, but now it does not seem to be the case. The official said that the United States was “absolutely” concerned that Israel was mounting an attack on Iranian facilities and for that matter’ he added, the United States has increased its watchfulness of both Iran and Israel.

The American concern is also directed toward the effect such an Israeli action may have for the American troops in Iraq and in the entire Middle East. The official said his country did not want to follow a military action against Iran.

On Friday, the President of Israel Shimon Peres said he believed that soon Israel and the world would take action against Iran. The presidential comment comes after some information was leaked to the press earlier in the week about the possibility of such an action.

The idea of attacking Iran comes after months in which Iranian problem did not make the front pages anymore as the Arab world was engulfed in violent moves against the regimes that had been ruling these countries for many decades.

However, International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to release next week a report that presents intelligence about computer models for warheads that would be designed to carry nuclear payload.

Although many have thought at first that the drumbeat of the Israeli cabinet was just a dissuasive move intended to give the Iranians something to think about twice, it would seem that Israel is convinced this time to take action, and fast, because as the winter approaches the possibility of an aerial attack grows slimmer unless executed within the next weeks.

The idea of an attack caught the entire world off guard, and made it possible for American authorities to express such concerns over the outcome of such a move. It is widely believed that Israel will never attempt an attack on Iran without knowing for sure that the Americans will come to their side.

An attack on Iran without American help could be disastrous for Israel, as it would be followed by a counterstrike from Iranian friends in the region, mainly Hamas and Hezbollah. Even Syria could postpone its crackdown on the population to attend such a moment.

Americans made it clear that they did not wanted to get involved in such an endeavor now that their economy is jolted by economic crisis, and the elections are within 13 months.

Engaging Iran is far more dangerous than engaging Iraq, because Iran is a huge country and with a large population, and once an attack is launched it must be carried out. Experts believe that even though Israel succeeds in destroying all nuclear facilities in Iran, that would not stop them for good. It would only delay them by four years, which is way the Americans are searching for a different approach on the matter, a diplomatic one, supported by economic sanctions which are aimed at cutting off the public support for the leadership.

Iran has threatened to retaliate if attacked, and their threat cannot be dismissed lightly, since they have the capacity to influence an attack of the Shiite Iraqis on the outgoing American troops, or an attack of the Taliban on the NATO troops. Or it could attack American bases in the Middle East.