Olmert: Israel will work to expose Iranian nuclear plan

Dec 9, 2007, 17:41 GMT

Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday his country would work alongside the International Atomic Energy Agency to 'expose discreet Iranian activity,' particularly regarding what he said was its nuclear weapons programme.

He said Israel has not changed its position on the Iranian nuclear issue, and still sees it as a relevant threat.

'Iran continues to enrich uranium,' said Olmert at the end of a special meeting of the security cabinet in Jerusalem which focused on the recent US intelligence report that said Iran stopped its military nuclear program in 2003.

The prime minister noted that the enrichment program would allow Iran to build a nuclear bomb by 2010 and that it continues to develop delivery systems, such as ballistic missiles, local media reported.

Olmert said it was the job of the international community, especially the United States, to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the destruction of the Jewish state and Israeli officials have referred to Iran as its greatest threat.

'Israel remains highly concerned about the Iranian nuclear program. The program posses an existential threat to Israel, to regional stability and to global security,' Mark Regev, a spokesman for Olmert, told Deutsche Presse Agentur dpa.

Olmert also urged the international community to keep up and tighten the sanctions on Iran, which he said were effective.

Last week other Israeli leaders warned against easing the stand on Iran and said it was probably continuing with its nuclear program. On Friday the deputy defense minister said Israel did not rule out a military strike over the nuclear issue.