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Sallai Meridor, Israeli Ambassador to the United States. (Tomer Appelbaum)
Last update - 16:18 10/01/2008
Israeli envoy to U.S.: All options are on the table regarding Iran
By Barak Ravid, Yossi Melman and Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Iran, Sallai Meridor, Israel 

Israel's ambassador to the United States said Thursday that Jerusalem was not willing to rule out any course of action when it comes to dealing with the Tehran regime and its nuclear aspirations.

Sallai Meridor told reporters in Jerusalem that regarding Iran, Israel believes that all options are on the table. Meridor is Israel for the visit by U.S. President George W. Bush.

"In assessing the threat from Iran we see in sync and think similarly. Both America and Israel understand the severity of the threat, the implication of the threat if it grows," Meridor said.
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Meridor was referring to the U.S. and Israeli belief that Iran is covertly developing nuclear weapons. Iran claims, however, its nuclear program is only for peaceful civilian purposes.

The ambassador also told the press briefing that all options would be on the table should there come a point where diplomatic action and economic pressure on Iran, which he said Israel prefers at this stage, have not yielded results.

Asked if a military strike was a realistic option, Meridor said "both the U.S. and Israel haven't removed any option from the table."

"All options are on the table, not only in the future. They are on the table if we get to the point, and I hope we don't get to the point, that diplomactic and economic preferred alternatives will fail to produce the hoped for results."

Iran was expected to be one of the central topics of the talks between Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during the president's three-day stay in Israel.

An Israeli political source said that in the wake of conversations with Bush, and his upcoming visit to Gulf states, Israel expects Arab nations to also put pressure on Iran over its nuclear plans.

"The Gulf states are required to take a more active position against Iran, and only thus can enough pressure on Tehran be created in order for it to stop is nuclear program," the Israeli source said.

Bush is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain during his week-long Mideast tour.

The U.S. president said Wednesday after talks with Olmert in Jerusalem that, "Iran was a threat, Iran is a threat, and Iran will be a threat if the international community does not come together and prevent that nation from the development of the know-how to build a nuclear weapon."

Bush told the press conference convened after his meeting with Olmert that the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear program, which said that Tehran halted its nuclear program in 2003, did not alter his own stance on the issue.

"I interpreted it [the NIE] to mean you better take the Iranian threat seriously," he added.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has branded Israel a rotten state which was doomed to collapse. He had previously called for the country to wiped off the face of the earth, and has drawn international censure for saying that the Holocaust was a "myth."

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      1.   More pitiful harrumphing from a paper tiger 14:09  |  Clickfool 10/01/08
      2.   Arrogant Mentality - How is Iran more of a threat then USA? 15:00  |  POP 10/01/08
      3.   Israel cannot win a war with Iran, Syria, Hizbollah, and Hamas 15:03  |  Natallie Durson 10/01/08
      4.   The USA would crumble if it attacked Iran. The USA is too poor... 15:25  |  POP 10/01/08
      5.   War with Iran is a nightmare for Israel 15:33  |  Edith 10/01/08
      6.   Militar option in Iran 15:39  |  Peter 10/01/08
      7.   #5 Edith 15:54  |  Paranoiac? 10/01/08
      8.   Not Bad Content FAKE Clickfool #1 16:01  |  Clickfool 10/01/08
      9.   # 3 N Durson 16:42  |  Goldberg 10/01/08
      10.   all options are on table also for the world if 17:15  |  bozhidar balks 10/01/08
      11.   Iran`s options are under the table. Watch out. 17:27  |  ManInTheMiddle 10/01/08
      12.   Israel can and will put an end to Iranian nukes 17:33  |  Vitaly 10/01/08
      13.   #6 Peter 17:35  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/01/08
      14.   Hello Hello look at me hello 17:41  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/01/08
      15.   Mistranslation Ad Nauseum 18:14  |  Lord Baltimore 10/01/08
      16.   vitaly??? 18:21  |  joebhed 10/01/08
      17.   #14 Hi there Chris 18:26  |  ballistic 10/01/08
      18.   No Jewish institution in the world will be safe from reprisal 18:36  |  Danny 10/01/08
      19.   #17 Ballistic 18:44  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/01/08
      20.   ballistic 18:55  |  Rasputin 10/01/08
      21.   Wrong, Lord Baltimore, wrong wrong 18:56  |  Jake 10/01/08
      22.   Iran is not a credible threat to America 19:01  |  American in NY 10/01/08
      23.   Ahmedinejad said : ISRAEL would be "wiped away" 19:07  |  Jake 10/01/08
      24.   Edith from Belgium, what nonsense! 19:16  |  Jake 10/01/08
      25.   Israelis have to mature as a people and a state and... 19:21  |  DA BUDDHA 10/01/08
      26.   Danny`s remarks, #18 19:31  |  Jake 10/01/08
      27.   Da "Buddha", talk is cheap 19:38  |  Jake 10/01/08
      28.   American in NY: Iran is not a credible threat to America 19:41  |  Jake 10/01/08
      29.   The military option is off the table, ambassador 19:45  |  Michael 10/01/08
      30.   Here`s some info, Jake 19:46  |  Lord Baltimore 10/01/08
      31.   # 2 - POP 19:46  |  MichaelF 10/01/08
      32.   #10 Bozidar Balks 19:57  |  Gary 10/01/08
      33.   3. Natalli: a war with Iran & Syria would likely include Egypt 20:05  |  stragist 10/01/08
      34.   #12 Vitaly doesn`t even understand the point of war on Iran 20:14  |  Pablo B 10/01/08
      35.   Jake: Jews are democratically inclined? huh? 20:27  |  DA BUDDHA 10/01/08
      36.   #31 MichaelF - lying about Iranian bomb grade uranium 20:27  |  Pablo B 10/01/08
      37.   Oh Jake 20:37  |  Lord Baltimore 10/01/08
      38.   24 Jake 20:43  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/01/08
      39.   # 13 Chris. A short answer................yes it will. 20:45  |  Stephen. 10/01/08
      40.   To #3 20:53  |  Oleg 10/01/08
      41.   39. Stephen you are an idiot!!! BOOOOM!! 21:00  |  think about it 10/01/08
      42.   Historical facts, Jake 21:03  |  Goldberg 10/01/08
      43.   Sallai Meridor really looks like an arrogant know it all joo huh? 21:04  |  good image 10/01/08
      44.   # 30 Lord Baltimore from Brooklyn, ?? 21:06  |  Stephen. 10/01/08
      45.   To Jack 21:10  |  Oleg 10/01/08
      46.   Stephen No it wont 21:15  |  American in NY 10/01/08
      47.   We need Balance in the world 21:35  |  Dino 10/01/08
      48.   To Chris Linthwaite 21:44  |  Oleg 10/01/08
      49.   The only option for Israel: Do what you are told! 21:49  |  Chanalau, Tova 10/01/08
      50.   Natallie - Israel is the 4th largest military force in the world 21:55  |  mk 10/01/08
      51.   45. Oli the dispora zionist wants to try it? 22:01  |  go ahead 10/01/08
      52.   # 46. They arn·t going to send in troops. Dude! 22:35  |  Stephen. 10/01/08
      53.   To #41 22:40  |  Oleg 10/01/08
      54.   # 47 Dino from California. 22:42  |  Stephen. 10/01/08
      55.   #51 Think about this................ 22:44  |  Oleg 10/01/08
      56.   Oh my....., They were wrong! 23:27  |  joebhed 10/01/08
      57.   #35 RE: gods...what a bunch of drivel!!! 23:28  |  DR 10/01/08
      58.   #19 Say Chris 23:33  |  ballistic 10/01/08
      59.   #23 Oh Jake, stop working yourself into a frenzy! 23:35  |  ballistic 10/01/08
      60.   #50 mk 23:39  |  ballistic 10/01/08
      61.   #19 Rasputin--no wonder you`ve been dead 23:44  |  ballistic 10/01/08
      62.   # 41 - `think`? 23:47  |  frenz 10/01/08
      63.   To Michael F No 1 23:51  |  joebhed 10/01/08
      64.   To Michael F No 2 23:53  |  joebhed 10/01/08
      65.   28 Jake - No Tonkin Gulfs 00:17  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/01/08
      66.   50 MK - How Many Divisions? 00:33  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/01/08
      67.   #26 Say Jake re Danny 00:57  |  ballistic 11/01/08
      68.   Say DR, did you type that post with a smile? 00:59  |  ballistic 11/01/08
      69.   iran - poof 01:10  |  frenz 11/01/08
      70.   Stephen # 52 you have no knowledge about any military 03:34  |  American in NY 11/01/08
      71.