Now is not the time to strike Iran, David Cameron urges Israel
David Cameron has personally warned Israel not to take military action against Iran for “now”, he disclosed last night.
On standby: an Israeli F-15 fighter jet on manoeuvres in the Negev desert
Photo: Getty Images
In a speech to members of the Jewish community in London, the Prime Minister
said he would not tolerate a “nuclear-armed Iran”. But he added that he had
told Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to give sanctions more
time to work.
Mr Cameron told the annual dinner of the United Jewish Israel Appeal: “I have
said to Prime Minister Netanyahu that now is not the time for Israel to
resort to military action.
“Beyond the unpredictable dangers inherent in any conflict, the other reason
is this: at the very moment when the regime faces unprecedented pressure and
the people are on the streets, and when Iran’s only real ally in Syria is
losing his grip on power, a foreign military strike is exactly the chance
the regime would look for to unite its people against a foreign enemy.
“We shouldn’t give them that chance.”
But he added: “In the long term, if Iran makes the wrong choice, nothing is
off the table. A nuclear armed Iran is a threat to Israel. And a threat to
the world. And this country will work unwaveringly to prevent that from
happening.”
Speculation has been growing that Israel plans an imminent military strike
against Iranian nuclear facilities, possibly during the American
presidential campaign.
Yesterday, the Pentagon confirmed that the US and Israel would undertake their largest joint air and defence exercise this month. British forces will also participate in the three-week “Austere Challenge”, details of which are cloaked in secrecy.
But Mr Cameron cited growing evidence to suggest that sanctions against the regime were beginning to have an impact.
William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, pledged to increase the “peaceful pressure” on Iran with a tightening of them.
A meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg agreed further steps after negotiations earlier this year failed to resolve the confrontation over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
-
Iran continues to enrich uranium in breach of six United Nations resolutions, a process that could be used to make the fissile core of a nuclear weapon.
-
The new measures ban most transactions between EU and Iranian banks. They also forbid any EU member state from exporting metals including aluminium and steel to Iran.
Israeli officials said they welcomed yesterday’s decision, but warned that sanctions had not yet stopped Iran enriching uranium.
Blogers'NB:
* But David Cameron it does not say what will happen if Iran decides to completely destroy Israel
Yesterday, the Pentagon confirmed that the US and Israel would undertake their largest joint air and defence exercise this month. British forces will also participate in the three-week “Austere Challenge”, details of which are cloaked in secrecy.
But Mr Cameron cited growing evidence to suggest that sanctions against the regime were beginning to have an impact.
William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, pledged to increase the “peaceful pressure” on Iran with a tightening of them.
A meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg agreed further steps after negotiations earlier this year failed to resolve the confrontation over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
-
Iran continues to enrich uranium in breach of six United Nations resolutions, a process that could be used to make the fissile core of a nuclear weapon.
-
The new measures ban most transactions between EU and Iranian banks. They also forbid any EU member state from exporting metals including aluminium and steel to Iran.
Israeli officials said they welcomed yesterday’s decision, but warned that sanctions had not yet stopped Iran enriching uranium.
Blogers'NB:
* But David Cameron it does not say what will happen if Iran decides to completely destroy Israel
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