| Date: 17/05/2012 Time: 01:31:00 PM |
Israel expressed concern on Thursday at planned new
round of negotiations between Iran and the six major powers due to be hosted
by Baghdad in two weeks.
Minister of Defense Ehud Barak said in remarks broadcast by Israel Radio
the upcoming talks would give a new chance for Tehran "to deceive the world
and pursue enriching uranium."
"Israel senses concern at prospects of failure to contain the Iranian
threat," Barak said, however he expressed his belief that the United States
would obstruct Iran's efforts to develop nuclear arms.
Barak, on a current visit to the United States, held talks on Wednesday
with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and other senior US officials.
The radio said Barak, during the talks with the American officials,
emphasized that the super powers should "couple might with diplomacy for
aborting any progress Iran might realize in the nuclear domain."
Iran's nuclear activities constitute a challenge to the whole world, and
not only Israel "and I believe its prospected transformation into a nuclear
power would result in altering the whole status in the Middle East," the radio
quoted the minister as saying further, during the visit to the US.
"We must do anything to avert such an eventuality," he said, however he
added that Tel Aviv has not taken a decision, yet, to carry out military
action against the Iranian nuclear installations. |