Israel Matzav

US warns Israel not to 'overplay its hand' on Iran

White House spokesman Jay Carney may have agreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu that sanctions against Iran have had no effect on its nuclear program. But behind the scenes, White House officials are warning Israel not to 'overplay its hand' on Iran.

[A] Channel 2 news report said irritated American officials are telling Israel that it is overplaying its hand with its constant warnings about time running out on stopping Iran’s nuclear program and its threats to launch military action against Iran

The message being conveyed by Obama Administration officials behind the scenes, the TV report said, is that the US knows what it is doing on Iran, and that while an Israeli strike could damage the Iranian program, an American strike, if deemed necessary, would finish it. Israel ought to stop talking about deadlines, and stop risk being perceived as meddling with domestic American politics ahead of November’s presidential elections.

The report also quoted an unnamed Israeli insider, said to be opposed to an Israeli strike, as saying that if Israel attacked Iran alone, “it would remain alone.”

If the Obama administration were playing its hand against Iran, Israel would not have to overplay its hand.

Obviously, it would be much more effective if the US attacks, but no one really sees that happening anytime soon, if ever. The Obama administration is far more interested in getting President Obama reelected than it is in really doing something about Iran, and everyone here sees that.

I doubt we would be alone for long - that's scare mongering. If we attack Iran, it's highly likely that Iran will draw in the US by attacking US troops, and even more likely that the US will join in to prevent that possibility (at least I hope they would).

What could go wrong?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Campaign 2012, Iran sanctions regime, Iranian nuclear threat, Israeli attack on Iran

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:49 AM