Former Israeli Air Force chief says unilateral attack against Iran would not succeed

Former Israeli Air Force chief Eitan Ben Eliyahu has urged caution on the possibility of a successful unilateral attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities. A report in Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that the retired Major General has reached this conclusion “because an attack on Iran will not be similar to the attack against the Iraqi nuclear plant in 1981”.

Ben Eliyahu, whose father was Iranian-born, advised government officials to cooperate with the United States on this matter. “America is able to carry out a successful attack against Iran,” he said. His advice contrasts with statements by current Minister of Defence Ehud Barak, who insisted earlier, “Israel will decide an attack against Iran alone and the US has to understand that”.

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Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the time to stop Iran from owning nuclear weapons is running out. “Iran’s rulers have not understood yet that the US and Israel are seriously intending to stop Tehran’s nuclear programme,” was his thinly-veiled threat to Tehran.