France: Iran risks attack if it continues to develop nuclear program
French envoy to UN does not specify who would carry out strike, but warns attack would have 'disastrous consequences in the region.'
By Haaretz and DPA Tags: Iran Iran threat Iran nuclearThe French envoy to the UN warned Iran on Tuesday that it risks a military strike if it continues to develop its nuclear program. Ambassador Gerard Araud said in New York that "If we don't succeed today to reach a negotiation with the Iranians, there is a strong risk of military action," AFP reported.
The strike, he said, "would be a very complicated operation. It would have disastrous consequences in the region… all the Arab countries are extremely worried about what is happening."
 |
Ahmadinejad at the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in 2008. |
| Photo by: AP |
On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi called on the European Union to resume nuclear talks with Tehran. "There have been new developments with regards to Iran's nuclear issue and also other issues,' Salehi said in a meeting with EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Salehi was referring to his meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)Director General Yukiya Amano in July, allowing IAEA inspections of Iranian nuclear sites and Russian efforts to kick start the talks.
'Iran and the EU have various issues to discuss and could complement one another through these talks,' Salehi told Ashton, according to a Foreign Ministry statement carried the semi-official Iranian news agency Fars.
Earlier this month, Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said he believes Israel would attack Iran to prevent it from achieving nuclear weapons capacity. Cheney told Newsmax TV that "Iran represents an existential threat and [the Israelis] will do whatever they have to do to guarantee their survival and their security.”
On September 3, The United Nations nuclear watchdog released a report stating that Iran is pursuing the development of nuclear weapons, adding that the Islamic Republic has upgraded its nuclear facilities in order to defend them from possible cyber attacks.
According to the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has installed new and improved 2IR as well as 4IR centrifuges, which according to experts, will be immune to cyber attacks that were able to breach the older centrifuges.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
but iran is not breaking the law - so whybomb it on israels behalf
I am so tired and fed up with this bucnh of fear- hate- and warmongers who seeks war to start. They do not prevent any wars. They start wars which wouldnt exist if it werent for these warmongers. Iran has never attacked another land. Simple facts. US, France, Israel and UK however have started several wars. US/UK have started several proxy wars aswell. US, France, Israel and Uk have all nuclear weapons and US have used them not only once but twice over civilian targets. And _they_, these nations who are everything they accuse Iran for, claim that Iran is a threat!? That's rubbish! And it's embarrassing hypocrisy
I think Israel will not be able to live without war anytime. The whole Israel psychology is now based on mix of real danger, superiority feeling , religious myths ( David, Samson ) and believing of continuous support from God in heaven.
I wonder why the article did not mention that most, if not all of Iran's Arab neighbours (Saudi Arabia, & the Gulf countries) have been urging a strike on Iran's nuclear "assets" for years, and have apparently even urged Israel to do it for them, when Obama refused.
HAHA that was a good one!
that when Iran takes measures to protect itself from cyber and other types of external threat it is looked upon as being sinister, anyone else taking the same or similar measures is looked upon as being prudent.
I hadn't though they were that bothered to be honest, but perhaps after their victory in Libya they feel more assertive.
what will be left of the air force?
for the region in general and Israel in particular, of a strike on Iran, doesn't bear thinking about
Ahmedinejad already welcomed IAEA back. Just resume talks and controls. Threats are empty and useless, just turning things more heated and agressive.
what drives those psychopaths to start Iraq/Iran wars after wars on behalf of israel? money?
Look at north Korea and Pakistan. No one dares to touch them. Look at Libiya, gadhafi got steam rolled cause he had no wmd's. Iranians won't stop because they see it as essential to their survival.
I would suggest everyone takes a step back and thinks about this. It hasn't been 12 years since Blur and Bush conned the world into believing that Sadam had WMD's, a repeat performance here and millions perhaps billions of us humans are going to die.
Its inevitable that there will be a comprehensive combined air assault on the nuclear infrastructure in Iran. The world will not permit them to advance their plans beyond an internationally manageable level. Just wondering how this will affect the current economic crisis thats just around the corner ?
by such threats now Iran have a right to strike israel before if it wants. israel have NO right whatsoever, to strike Iran.
I guess there are more wealty Zionists in positions of influence in the EU and US than there are Iranians.
North Korea didn't give up its nukes and is safe. Iraq and Libya both gave up their WMDs and got invaded. You do the maths.
also now Iran got a full legal right to strike france or israel with a preemptive strike.
This has been predicted for a year now I think it will not take long for it to happen. I think its a bad thing at this moment we are in a economical crisis at this moment an attack on iran will cause collapse of the world economy I hope all leaders (iran,israel, US france) take this in consideration.
whats wrong with the western world?!
Here we have the warmongering france saying that israel will attack and they wont stop them.