Israel says attack on Iran likely November 6, 2011 - 1:14PM
.AFP
Israeli President Shimon Peres says an attack on Iran by Israel and other countries is "more and more likely".
Israeli media are reporting Peres told Israeli private television's second channel late on Saturday: "The intelligence services of the different countries that are keeping an eye on (Iran) are worried and putting pressure on their leaders to warn that Iran is ready to obtain the nuclear weapon.
"We must turn to these countries to ensure that they keep their commitments ... this must be done, and there is a long list of options."
Advertisement: Story continues below Israel on Thursday completed a major civil defence drill in the Tel Aviv region aimed at simulating a response to conventional and non-conventional missile attacks, the military said.
Israel has also successfully tested what local media called a "ballistic missile", which a defence ministry official described to AFP as a long-scheduled "test firing of the rocket-propulsion system".
On Wednesday, Haaretz newspaper reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak were seeking to win cabinet support for a strike on Iran, which Israel and the West suspect is looking to build an atomic bomb.
On the same day, Israel tested a rocket-propulsion system that press reports said was capable of firing ballistic missiles, although officials declined to comment on the specifics of the system and said it was a routine test.
A poll published by the Haaretz daily on Thursday found Israeli public opinion divided on a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, with 41 per cent in favour, 39 per cent opposed and 20 per cent undecided.
Iran, meanwhile, declared it would "punish" Israel in case of an attack on its territory.
© 2011 AFP
.AFP
Israeli President Shimon Peres says an attack on Iran by Israel and other countries is "more and more likely".
Israeli media are reporting Peres told Israeli private television's second channel late on Saturday: "The intelligence services of the different countries that are keeping an eye on (Iran) are worried and putting pressure on their leaders to warn that Iran is ready to obtain the nuclear weapon.
"We must turn to these countries to ensure that they keep their commitments ... this must be done, and there is a long list of options."
Advertisement: Story continues below Israel on Thursday completed a major civil defence drill in the Tel Aviv region aimed at simulating a response to conventional and non-conventional missile attacks, the military said.
Israel has also successfully tested what local media called a "ballistic missile", which a defence ministry official described to AFP as a long-scheduled "test firing of the rocket-propulsion system".
On Wednesday, Haaretz newspaper reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak were seeking to win cabinet support for a strike on Iran, which Israel and the West suspect is looking to build an atomic bomb.
On the same day, Israel tested a rocket-propulsion system that press reports said was capable of firing ballistic missiles, although officials declined to comment on the specifics of the system and said it was a routine test.
A poll published by the Haaretz daily on Thursday found Israeli public opinion divided on a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, with 41 per cent in favour, 39 per cent opposed and 20 per cent undecided.
Iran, meanwhile, declared it would "punish" Israel in case of an attack on its territory.
© 2011 AFP
