Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) Israel's government is said to have given 'initial authorisation' for an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities if diplomacy fails to convince Tehran to dismantle its nuclear projects, this according to the Sunday Times of London, citing an anonymous Israeli security source.
The article published in yesterday's edition also suggests that the US administration will not join Israel in any attack but won't stand in its way if everything else fails. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denied however the US gave the go-ahead to such action.
Iran is currently engaged in talks with France, the United Kingdom and Germany over its nuclear programme. The ayatollah's regime has always maintained that it is for peaceful purposes. Last Saturday Iranian President Mohammad Khatami reiterated that Iran had the "legal and legitimate right" to possess nuclear power, adding that his country "does not want to build nuclear weapons".
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his government are worried that should Tehran acquire such weapons it might use them to destroy the state of Israel, something the Iranian regime has repeatedly called for.
Also yesterday Israel's government acknowledged the state's complicity in setting up 105 illegal West Bank settlement outposts.
Israeli Radio reported the cabinet decided to dismantle 24 outposts built after 2001 as part of the Road Map peace plan backed by the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who is currently visiting Israel and Palestine, said he was happy to see Israel negotiate its pullout from Gaza with the Palestinians.
Some months ago Sharon had decided to pull out entirely from the Gaza Strip.