Middle East News

Speculation amid Israeli silence on US vice president's Iran remark

Jul 6, 2009, 9:30 GMT

Washington/Tel Aviv - Israel would not comment Monday on a signal by US Vice President Joe Biden that Washington would not stand in the way of an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The US was not in a position to dictate to any sovereign nation what they could or could not do, Biden said in an interview Sunday with the US broadcaster ABC.

Israel could itself make those decisions that it thought in its best interests, Biden added, sparking speculation that this meant a 'green light' in case Israel decides to strike in Iran.

Asked about the speculation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev declined to comment, saying only 'I don't want to give any interpretation.'

Other Israeli officials however did comment on condition of anonymity to the local media.

'There are secret understandings between Israel and the Obama administration regarding Israel's options vis a vis Iran,' one senior government official told the pro-Netanyahu daily Israel Hayom.

The authoritative, left-wing Ha'aretz daily meanwile reported that against the backdrop of the unrest in Iran, Israel had over the past weeks sent urgent messages to the US, Germany, Russia, France and Japan that a 'Plan B' should already be prepared, in case a dialogue with Tehran failed to stop its nuclear programme.

That plan, Israel is arguing, should include 'paralysing sanctions.'

While some observers have interpreted Biden's remark to mean a go- ahead for Israel, others noted it could be part of coordinated Israeli-US psychological warfare, aimed at raising the pressure on Tehran, and perhaps even at influencing domestic developments there.

In a change of policy of previous governments and what Israeli media described as a risky move, Israel last month sent one of its three Dolphin-class submarines through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea.

Israeli defence officials described the naval drill as a show of strategic reach in the face of Iran.



COMMENT

blog comments powered by Disqus

Latest Headlines in Middle East

Older Talkback

page: 1 

aldous6Jul 6th, 2009 - 12:48:10

well what a nice way to understand diplomacy, moreover to achive communal suicide. no wonder wars are the preferred entertainment of nations that are rule by the thumbs of religion. perhaps as some say the world is overpopulated, them why not let them kill each others that way we shall all be relieve!

Report this comment

page: 1 

Follow Us

Follow M&C on Pinterest

Search

Custom Search

Also Check Out

Delta Goodrem opens up about Brian split

Delta Goodrem opens up about Brian split
Delta Goodrem said she 'didn't know how to get out' of her six and a half year relationship with Brian McFadden. ... more

Cynthia Nixon weds longtime partner

Cynthia Nixon weds longtime partner
Happy news for Cynthia Nixon and her longtime partner Christine Marinoni, parents of Max Ellington Nixon-Marinoni. The couple wed this weekend. ... more

David Beckham likes to bite Harper

David Beckham likes to bite Harper
David Beckham likes to bite his 10-month-old baby daughter, Harper, because she's so adorable. ... more

Jessica Biel is 'one of the guys'

Jessica Biel is one of the guys
Justin Timberlake's friends like his fiancee Jessica Biel because she's 'one of the guys', says his former *NSYNC bandmate Lance Bass. ... more

Lindsay Lohan pursued for 41k owed to tanning company

Lindsay Lohan pursued for 41k owed to tanning company
Lindsay Lohan still hasn't paid the $41,031 she owes to fake tan company Tanning Vegas and they are attempting to move the case from Nevada to California to force her to settle the bill. ... more

Robert De Niro glad he didn't finish school

Robert De Niro glad he didnt finish school
Robert De Niro jokingly claimed not graduating from high school was an 'advantage' as he picked up an honorary doctorate yesterday (27.05.12). ... more

Beyonce Knowles plans to get 'chocolate wasted'

Beyonce Knowles plans to get chocolate wasted
Beyonce wants to ditch her diet and get 'chocolate wasted' after successfully shedding her baby weight. ... more

Cynthia Nixon marries

Cynthia Nixon marries
Cynthia Nixon married her long-term partner Christine Marinoni in New York yesterday (2y7.05.12), her publicist has confirmed. ... more

Justin Bieber accused of assault

Justin Bieber accused of assault
Justin Bieber has been accused of assaulting a photographer in California after a physical altercation allegedly broke out when the paparazzo attempted to take pictures of the singer and his girlfriend Selena Gomez. ... more

Britney Spears' fiance makes romantic video for her

Britney Spears fiance makes romantic video for her
Britney Spears' fiancee Jason Trawick made a gushing video to tell the singer how proud he is of her US 'X Factor' debut in Austin, Texas, last week. ... more