Israel Sees Narrowing Window for Attack on Iran

Sorry if this is already a repost, but did a search and couldn't find anything about it.

But just read on my local news paper, and Israel is looking to do an attack before summer, so the next few months is gonna be interesting now!

Since the article is in Norwegian I did a just quick google search and found a abc news article for you:

Officials are quietly conceding that new international sanctions targeting Iran's suspect nuclear program, while welcome, are further constraining Israel's ability to take military action — just as a window of opportunity is closing because Tehran is moving more of its installations underground. The officials say that Israel must act by the summer if it wants to effectively attack Iran's program. A key question in the debate is how much damage Israel, or anyone else, can inflict, and whether it would be worth the risk of a possible counterstrike. Israel has been a leading voice in the international calls to curb Iran's nuclear program. Like the West, it believes the Iranians are moving toward nuclear weapons capability — a charge Tehran denies. Israel contends a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten its survival, citing Tehran's calls for the destruction of the Jewish state and its support for anti-Israel militant groups. It also fears an Iranian bomb would touch off a nuclear arms race in a region still largely hostile to Israel. Israeli leaders say they prefer a diplomatic solution. But — skeptical of international resolve — Israel refuses to rule out the use of force, saying frequently that "all options are on the table." In comments Friday to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak called for even tougher sanctions against Iran and said time was running out for the world to act. "We are determined to prevent Iran from turning nuclear," he said. "It seems to us to be urgent, because the Iranians are deliberately drifting into what we call an immunity zone where practically no surgical operation could block them." Returning Monday to Israel, Barak added: "We must not waste time on this matter; the Iranians continue to advance (toward nuclear weapons), identifying every crack and squeezing through. Time is urgently running out." Key Israeli defense officials believe that the time to strike, if such a decision is made, would have to be by the middle of this year. Complicating the task is the assessment that Iran is stepping up efforts to move its work on enriching uranium — a critical component of bombmaking — deep underground. Iran's enrichment site at Fordo near the Iranian city of Qom, for instance, is shielded by about 300 feet (90 meters) of rock. A team of U.N. nuclear inspectors, including senior weapons experts, is in Iran this week, and the findings from the visit could greatly influence Western efforts to expand economic pressures on Tehran over its uranium enrichment. The European Union this month decided to stop importing oil from Iran — just weeks after the U.S. approved, but has yet to enact, new sanctions targeting Iran's Central Bank and, by extension, its ability to sell its oil. Several officials at the heart of the decision-making structure, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were discussing some of Israel's deepest secrets, said they feel compelled to give the sanctions time. In this way, somewhat paradoxically, the new economic sanctions the U.S. and Europe are imposing — while meeting a repeated Israeli request — have emerged as an obstacle to military action.

Israel Sees Narrowing Window for Attack on Iran
(visit link for full article)

I think its safe to say we could go back ten years or further in the news....and find some Isreali poitician or other claiming that Iran is just a year away from the bomb!
Every year the same thing.....though it certainly apears that Iran has outflanked the west by sinking much of its nuke industry underground.....
But this has been a known factor over the course of time as well!
theres nothing really new here......
These intelligence estimates are worth whatever propaganda value they may have thats all.....
The reality is very likely that the "window" has closed and is now locked and barred .....
The Iranian bomb is a fait accomple:

The new US bunker busters will be ready for delivery by june or july this year....mayhap theyll wait to get those first.....

Do you guys think that it would be less inflaming to the Mideast if the USA attacked Iran as opposed to Israel?

reply to post by USN1983


Doesn't matter. Ties are too close. It will (and probably should be) assumed that it is a joint op.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow


You think the USA and Israel will both attack Iran together? I was always under the impression that the USA wanted Israel to stay out of it.

The feeling that comes from this political pressure is all to familiar if you consider scenarios like World War 2.

I'm not referring to the scale of the conflict, but the fact that several sections of society are putting forward the idea of a strike against a country who has no official (or at least on-going) hostilities.

This is very similar to what happened between the US and Japan prior to the Pearl Harbor attack. Japan was also being isolated into submission, and they turned it around by making the PH attack, as a response to the increasing difficulties they were dealing with. (like, for instance, lack of oil supplies, which in the end undermined they war efforts, since not even Germany could help them with that after the Europe front became an option for the US)

I just hope this is just rhetoric and nothing more.

reply to post by USN1983


Israel and the US have similar interests in the area, albeit for different reasons. The US is trying to gain political and strategic influence, pushing China and Russia backwards (which is actually important, since both are on a upward momentum, despite internal conflicts) and gaining economic "partners" who will assist US getting back on it's feet. Israel, on the other hand, wishes to secure their geographic area. Iran is a serious threat close to home, and so are other peripheral countries that could cause serious problems if they do any sort of alliance with Iran.

But this is assuming a peaceful resolution is what they seek.

In case there is a serious consideration being put forward that admits, or even promotes any sort of conflict, then the US will have to restrain Israel actions, so they don't compromise a possible US strategy for the whole conflict.

Personally, I think it's too risky to go against Iran. Not me, nor you, not anybody in the world besides Iran, really knows what kind of pandora box will be unleashed if Iran is attacked by the west.

Doesn't matter really what sort of strategy they have... Wrong move, and we all get to enjoy some really "nice" rough times.

reply to post by spire


In my opinion, the US is not going to act against Iran before the November elections unless the following:

* Iran attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz. This WILL ellicit an immediate, long-term and determined attack from US and NATO forces until said strait is secured and reopened.
* Israel attacks Iran and is itself subsequently invaded by a 3rd party nation, such as Egypt, Syria or perhaps even Hizbollah/Lebanon, etc.
* The introduction of any variable that includes the direct use of what is today termed a Weapon of Mass Destruction. This includes any form of nuclear device, chemical or biological.

Of course, the US-Israel tie-in will definitely be played should the Jewish state initiate hostilities. Warplanes with the Star of David on their fuselages, as well as the ordinance they carry, are mostly US manufacture. One step further, many small arms are made in the UK and France and Israeli subs are mostly built by the Germans... so the connectivity could be stretched out if Tehran wanted to make war on western Europe as well.

reply to post by spire


This is disturbing and something I covered on my blog yesterday.

johngossip.blogspot.com...

I'm new to Above Top Secret but could those residents in the UK who are not aware of the epetition calling for the resignation of Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, for not allowing an inquest into the death of weapons' inspector Dr David Kelly, please sign:

epetitions.direct.gov.uk...

Thanks. And please distribute.