Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies think tank has sent a report with possible national responses to a successful Iranian nuclear weapons test to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, according to Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper.
According to the report on the simulation, the US would create a defense treaty with Israel, but tell the Jewish state not to exercise military options against Iran. To date, Israel has maintained that no options – including a targeted air strike – are off the table when it comes to Russia would enter its own agreement with the United States, while Saudi Arabia would likely begin developing its own nuclear weapons program.
The INSS scenario involves a successful Iranian nuclear weapons test in January 2013. Given that possibility, the INSS believes Iran would attack the US Fifth Fleet and try to encroach on territories on its Iraqi border. “The simulation showed that Iran will not forgo nuclear weapons, but will attempt to use them to reach an agreement with the major powers that will improve its position,” the report stated.
Dennis Ross, a two year advisor on US President Barack Obama’s National Security Council, and former advisor on Iran to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said Monday that President Obama is prepared to use military force to keep Iran from creating atomic weapons.
The London Times reported that the war games were played out last week in Tel Aviv at the behest of former Israeli ambassadors, intelligence and military officials, including a former head of Israel’s National Security Council and two former members of the prime minister’s office.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey have confirmed that the US is preparing for the possibility of having to use military strength against Iran.
On Monday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran continues enriching uranium at a heavily fortified underground facility in northern Iran. IAEA officials say the uranium has been enriched up to 20 percent
