Business Insider
The mood in Jerusalem is hardening as Israel is running out of time to decide whether or not to launch an attack on Iran's nuclear sites, reports Michael Stott of Reuters.
Despite heavy international pressure, Iran continues to enrich uranium for what it says are peaceful purposes while Israel and the West worry that Tehran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.
Experts told Reuters that most of Iran's nuclear program — which Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers an existential threat to the state of Israel — will be buried deep underground within a few months, thereby making a strike even riskier and more difficult than it already is.
Consequently, Netanyahu's government is on lockdown — recent public pronouncements are no longer warning of a strike but instead are reiterating President Barack Obama's position that diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions should be given time to work.
But Netanyahu has also been making moves to consolidate power: last week he reached a deal to join forces with the opposition Kadima party and its Iranian-born leader Gen. Shaul Mofaz, which gives the coalition 94 out of 120 in the Knesset (i.e. Israel's house of representatives).
The move concerns American officials who were expecting Israeli elections in September because now there is little to stop Netanyahu from ordering an attack.
Despite heavy international pressure, Iran continues to enrich uranium for what it says are peaceful purposes while Israel and the West worry that Tehran is trying to build a nuclear weapon.
Experts told Reuters that most of Iran's nuclear program — which Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers an existential threat to the state of Israel — will be buried deep underground within a few months, thereby making a strike even riskier and more difficult than it already is.
Consequently, Netanyahu's government is on lockdown — recent public pronouncements are no longer warning of a strike but instead are reiterating President Barack Obama's position that diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions should be given time to work.
But Netanyahu has also been making moves to consolidate power: last week he reached a deal to join forces with the opposition Kadima party and its Iranian-born leader Gen. Shaul Mofaz, which gives the coalition 94 out of 120 in the Knesset (i.e. Israel's house of representatives).
The move concerns American officials who were expecting Israeli elections in September because now there is little to stop Netanyahu from ordering an attack.
Posts
