Israel Matzav

Drumbeats on Iran

I am swamped with work today, and therefore there's going to be a lot less quoting and a lot more clicking through for all of you to do. My apologies but practicing law is still a lot more profitable than blogging.

The Hezrzliya conference is taking place this week in Herzliya, and we have seen a parade of military
leaders - both current and former - warning of Iran's nuclear capability and hinting that an attack is coming. It's just a question of when.

Here's Benny Gantz, the current IDF Chief of Staff.

"There is no doubt that Iran is striving to develop nuclear capabilities for military purposes," Gantz said at the Herzliya Conference on security, adding that the Islamic Republic's atom ambitions "must be disrupted."

The general noted that Iran is seeking to obtain nuclear weapons to bolster its deterrence, and warned it could cross the nuclear threshold within a year.

Gantz also paid lip service to sanctions, but what I've quoted above sure hints pretty bluntly at military action against Iran within a year. Sanctions are a very indirect disruption.

That was Wednesday. On Thursday morning, Military Intelligence Chief Aviv Kochavi was on stage at Herzliya:

Speaking at the Herzliya Conference, Kochavi said that once Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the decision to go to the so-called "breakout stage" and begin enriching uranium to military-grade levels, it would take the Iranians a year to make a crude device and another year or two to manufacture a nuclear warhead that can be installed on a ballistic missile.

Iran, he said, has obtained 4 tons of uranium enriched to 3.5 percent and another 100 kilograms enriched to 20%.

Kochavi also had some other stark warnings.

Kochavi said that Israel was currently threatened by 200,000 rockets and missiles in the hands of Israel's enemies. The missiles, he said, currently covered the entire State of Israel and were growing in their ranges and the size of their warheads.

He also said that Iran's Quds Force - responsible for the regime's overseas military operations - was continuing its efforts to carry out an attacks against Israel and the Jewish people throughout the world.

Last month, two Iranian attempts to launch an attack against Israeli embassies were thwarted in Azerbaijan and Thailand.

This situation cannot continue forever. And it won't.

Labels: Iranian nuclear threat, rockets

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:31 AM