U.S. must be firm on stopping Iran nuclear threat, Israeli official says

PanARMENIAN.Net - A senior Israeli official said on Sunday, September 16 the United States should not wait for Iran to decide on building a nuclear weapon before it considers military action against the Islamic Republic, according to Reuters.

"When is the point at which it should be stopped? Just when the bomb is assembled on the tip of the missile and is ready for launch?" Dan Meridor, deputy Israeli prime minister with responsibility for nuclear and intelligence affairs, said in a radio interview.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who sees a mortal threat to Israel from Tehran, has hinted he could resort to war unless Washington and other world powers give Iran an ultimatum on curbing its uranium enrichment program.

U.S. President Barack Obama has rebuffed Netanyahu's lobbying, opening a rift between the allies although they agree that Iran has yet to take the final steps of purifying uranium to military grade and assembling a warhead.

Tehran denies seeking the bomb, saying its nuclear projects are for peaceful energy and medical purposes. Diplomatic talks between it and world powers have so-far proved fruitless.

Speaking on Israel Radio, Meridor praised the Obama administration for its insistence that it will not allow Iran to get nuclear arms. But such shows of resolve must be emphasized, he said.

Iran could reach stage of nuclear development which would allow it to make a warhead quickly years in the future when the world's guard was down, he said.