If Israel launches a pre-emptive strike against Iran, the U.S. will not get an advanced warning, according to the Associated Press (AP) on Feb. 28. This was said in the midst of conversations between top Israeli and U.S. officials.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency Iran’s uranium enrichment program could lead to the creation of nuclear weapons. President Obama’s administration seeks to resolve the possibility of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons through diplomacy and economic pressure. Israel has not seemed convinced the U.S. will be willing to support military force.
Also, the ramifications of a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities may be huge. A missile strike on Iran could put the U.S. in a position where retaliation from Iran could be directed at both Israel and the United States.
However, the possibility of Iran’s uranium enrichment program being the lead-up to nuclear weapons presents a danger to the world reminiscent of the Cold War. In an interview with “The Atlantic,” President Obama gave his perspective on such a potential escalating conflict.
“It will not be tolerable to a number of states in that region for Iran to have a nuclear weapon . . . The dangers of an Iran getting nuclear weapons that then leads to a free-for-all in the Middle East is something that I think would be very dangerous for the world.”
Obama was alluding to the high tensions which already exist in the Middle East. He pointed out that Iran’s attainment of nuclear weapons would give further reason for other countries of the region to arm themselves as well as present economic hardships.
“When I say this is in the U.S. interest, I’m not saying this is something we’d like to solve,” Obama said. “This is something we have to solve.”
Obama’s administration does not support Israel bombing Iran at this time, however has said he will order the U.S. military to destroy Iran’s nuclear program if other means failed to evoke compliance.
“Preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon isn’t just in the interest of Israel, it is profoundly in the security interests of the United States … when I say we’re not taking any option off the table, we mean it. We are going to continue to apply pressure until Iran takes a different course.”
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Israel-Iran conflict
By Kristen Sederquist
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March 7, 2012
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