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Defense Minister Ehud Barak meeting in Tel Aviv with U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Monday. (AP)
Last update - 10:33 21/05/2008
Olmert to U.S.: Impose naval blockade on Iran
By Barak Ravid and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents and AP
Tags: Iran, Nancy Pelosi, Israel 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has proposed in discussions with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, that a naval blockade be imposed on Iran as one of several ways to pressure Iran into stopping its uranium enrichment program.

Although the White House denied a published report that U.S. President George W. Bush intends to attack Iran before the end of his term in January, the Bush administration is said not to have ruled out entirely the possibility of an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

A story in the Jerusalem Post quoted an unidentified official as claiming that a "senior member" of Bush's entourage to Israel last week made the statement about attacking Iran in a closed meeting. However, White House press secretary Dana Perino said the article is "not worth the paper it's written on." She added that the administration's preference and actions for dealing with Iran remain through peaceful diplomatic means.
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Israelis who spoke to Bush and his entourage while they were in Israel last week said they had the impression that the military option "is on the table," and that the president felt a sense of deep obligation to overcome the Iranian threat.

The Iranian issue was central in Olmert's meeting over lunch Monday with Pelosi, together with 12 other members of Congress in the bipartisan delegation Pelosi led. Among those present were House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, and heads of the House Appropriations Committee, Nita Lowey and Gary Ackerman.

"The present economic sanctions on Iran have exhausted themselves," Olmert told Pelosi, adding that the international community needed to take much more drastic steps to stop Iran's efforts to obtain nuclear weapons. Olmert also said there was a great deal of space between the present sanctions and military action. Aggressive action could be taken that was not violent, Olmert told Pelosi.

Olmert's suggestions mainly involved continued efforts to isolate the Iranian regime. Olmert proposed two possible courses of action: first, a naval blockade of Iran using the U.S. fleet to limit the movement in and out of Iran of its merchant ships.

The second option Olmert proposed was to place limitations on Iranian aircraft, business people and senior members of the regime at airports throughout the world. "Iranian businesspeople who would not be able to land anywhere in the world would pressure the regime," Olmert said.

Members of the American delegation also spoke about how to pressure Iran. Pelosi herself said at a press conference Monday that a whole series of moves were on the table to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear status."

Livni: United front

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told Pelosi at a meeting that "the effectiveness of the sanctions depends on a united front by the countries of the world." Livni added that when there are those who create commercial options for Iran, the efficacy of sanctions was reduced. "When Iran sees the foreign minister of Switzerland wearing a veil when she comes to to Ahmadinejad to sign an agreement, it concludes that the world is not united against it," Livni said.

Olmert is scheduled to fly to Washington in two weeks for another working meeting with Bush that will focus on the Iranian issue. During Bush's visit last week, he met with Olmert privately, as well as together with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, to discuss the options for dealing with Iran's nuclear program.

Senior government officials in Jerusalem said they were satisfied with the talks and Bush's speech in the Knesset on Iran. They said they believed Bush would make good on his declarations.

Meanwhile, diplomats in Vienna said a new attempt by Mohammed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to probe allegations that Iran tried to make nuclear arms has failed. ElBaradei was said to have been hopeful a month ago when he announced a new attempt to investigate allegations that Iran has tried to make atomic arms. However, the diplomats told The Associated Press yesterday that Iran denies such activities.

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      1.   Olmert trying to gain popularity. WHAT A LOSER! 03:20  |  MOE 21/05/08
      2.   Olmert - First, Protect Your People from Rockets 03:40  |  Tod Zuckerman 21/05/08
      3.   olmert and the jews can impose all the blockades that want on 03:46  |  nowitsurturn 21/05/08
      4.   I`m sorry sir, you are cut off. The bar is closed. 03:47  |  Aphemia 21/05/08
      5.   The Lindon Johnson`s Flotilla 03:50  |  Shmuelshachor 21/05/08
      6.   A act of war 03:52  |  Wendy 21/05/08
      7.   Olmert is at it again 03:58  |  Jim 21/05/08
      8.   Israel should do a naval blockade on Iran. 04:05  |  sam 21/05/08
      9.   Rock on Olmert 04:08  |  ZBZ 21/05/08
      10.   Geez, there are those who say Israel doesn`t 04:22  |  ballistic 21/05/08
      11.   Attack Iran 04:28  |  Gregor 21/05/08
      12.   Stop blustering 04:30  |  Rowan 21/05/08
      13.   PELOSI GO BACK TO MARIN COUNTY 04:35  |  david 21/05/08
      14.   Zionists Giving the Orders 04:43  |  Dovy 21/05/08
      15.   Possible blockade of Iran 04:59  |  Jerri i 21/05/08
      16.   Israel should do it alone (god is suppose to be on its side) 05:06  |  American 21/05/08
      17.   dream on! 05:10  |  bashar 21/05/08
      18.   No Jewish conspiracy to bomb Iran 05:15  |  David James Vickery 21/05/08
      19.   Break the yoke 05:18  |  Zion 21/05/08
      20.   How Many UN Sanctions Saddam Defied Before Iraq Liberation 05:24  |  Joseph . E 21/05/08
      21.   What this idiot is asking 05:41  |  Mark Lincoln 21/05/08
      22.   I hesistate to use the anti semite label but DJV you are one 06:04  |  Noam 21/05/08
      23.   Desperation rising in Israel 06:31  |  Joe 21/05/08
      24.   AMERICAN SOLDIER 06:59  |  KIRK B 21/05/08
      25.   Olmert giving Order....Getting Re-paid.. 07:18  |  Ali 21/05/08
      26.   Attack now! 07:27  |  Gordon 21/05/08
      27.   Ehud, her name is PILOSE, NOT PENOSE! 07:42  |  Butch 21/05/08
      28.   To #21 07:47  |  Gordon 21/05/08
      29.   The present regime in Iran must have a slow death 07:57  |  Akram Zekaria 21/05/08
      30.   Send the Israeli Navy 08:02  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/05/08
      31.   Can the West tolerate a nuclear Iran? 08:08  |  Jean Van Daem 21/05/08
      32.   Well the naval blockade sounds more peaceful then an attack but.. 08:11  |  Marco 21/05/08
      33.   HE THINK IRAN WAS SIMILAR THAN GAZA 08:12  |  indrajaya 21/05/08
      34.   21# Mark Lincoln. You wouldn`t have been here 08:16  |  Akram Zekaria 21/05/08
      35.   Joseph E - Why not Your Navy? 08:21  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/05/08
      36.   Worse then a US-led War,For the West..will be a `nonUS-led War` 08:33  |  Marco 21/05/08
      37.   Naval Blocade on Iran is insane idea , another one by Olmert 08:39  |  Sal 21/05/08
      38.   "Using the US Fleet" 08:47  |  Clickfool 21/05/08
      39.   Be fair, Mark Lincoln # 21 08:52  |  Clickfool 21/05/08
      40.   Those who play with fire are likely to get burned 08:54  |  Natallie Durson 21/05/08
      41.   How the world should respond to the Israeli blockade idea 09:01  |  Clickfool 21/05/08
      42.   When oh when? 09:06  |  Janice 21/05/08
      43.   A question for Pelosi 09:11  |  Janice 21/05/08
      44.   Does Israel need more enemies? 09:19  |  MiddleStanian 21/05/08
      45.   Olmert still speaking...? WHO wants to listen.... 09:19  |  Dolly 21/05/08
      46.   Who else loves it when Mark L Flips out? lol 09:45  |  Abraham Saks 21/05/08
      47.   #18 David James Vickery 09:51  |  Jim 21/05/08
      48.   Olmert is winning :the long way around the mine field 09:55  |  Zev 21/05/08
      49.   HE THINK IRAN WAS SIMILAR WITH GAZA 10:03  |  indrajaya 21/05/08
      50.   #22 Marco 10:08  |  Jim 21/05/08
      51.   #29 Sal harrumph! 10:16  |  Jim 21/05/08
      52.   Doesn`t Israel understand what damage it does to the image...... 10:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
      53.   #21 Mark Lincoln 10:26  |  Jim 21/05/08
      54.   Proxy War 10:28  |  Sumanto 21/05/08
      55.   By the way, the West should fully support Israel on Iran, BUT.... 10:39  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
      56.   Naval blockade, tantamount to a declaration of war 10:42  |  Sadiq M 21/05/08
      57.   News for Zev # 48 10:43  |  Clickfool 21/05/08
      58.   Obviously the military attacks on Iran 10:45  |  Rachel Stevens. 21/05/08
      59.   #48 Zev 10:46  |  Jim 21/05/08
      60.   impose a naval blockade 10:47  |  samos 21/05/08
      61.   If OLMERT should read these Opinions ...... 10:48  |  Natasha 21/05/08
      62.   #49 indrajaya 10:48  |  Jim 21/05/08
      63.   do it yourself 10:49  |  Archangel 21/05/08
      64.   "a united front of the countries of the world" 10:51  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/05/08
      65.   it becomes serious! 11:09  |  michel 21/05/08
      66.   Iran would sink a US capital ship in any blockade 11:10  |  Clickfool 21/05/08
      67.   LIVE MIDDLE EAST ALONE 11:13  |  WELL WISHER 21/05/08
      68.   AS LONG AS NO ISRAELIS GET KILLED 11:15  |  indrajaya 21/05/08
      69.   #52 Doesn`t the world yet understand that 11:16  |  Ramius 21/05/08