Israel has plans for nuclear strike on Iran: paper

[Evil]

LONDON (Reuters) - Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran's uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper said.

Citing what it said were several Israeli military sources, the paper said two Israeli air force squadrons had been training to blow up an enrichment plant in Natanz using low-yield nuclear "bunker busters."

Two other sites, a heavy water plant at Arak and a uranium conversion plant at Isfahan, would be targeted with conventional bombs, the Sunday Times said.

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously last month to slap sanctions on Iran to try to stop uranium enrichment that Western powers fear could lead to making bombs. Tehran insists its plans are peaceful and says it will continue enrichment.

Israel has refused to rule out pre-emptive military action against Iran along the lines of its 1981 air strike against an atomic reactor in Iraq, although many analysts believe Iran's nuclear facilities are too much for Israel to take on alone.

An Israeli government spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, declined comment on the Sunday Times report. Israel does not discuss its assumed atomic arsenal, under an "ambiguity strategy" billed as warding off regional foes while avoiding arms races.

"We don't comment on stories like this in the Sunday Times," Eisin said.

In Tehran, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a news conference that the newspaper report "will make clear to the world public opinion that the Zionist regime (Israel) is the main menace to global peace and the region."

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[Gaffer]

Thanks to the BBC our enemy will be even more ready when a strike is made. If the facility is buried and not able to be taken out by conventional means then by all means a nuclear strike needs to be made. This is not news. Its an a blatant attempt to disrupt warplans. And the BBC is well known to be a anti-semite news media.

[jillian]

Thanks to the BBC our enemy will be even more ready when a strike is made. If the facility is buried and not able to be taken out by conventional means then by all means a nuclear strike needs to be made. This is not news. Its an a blatant attempt to disrupt warplans. And the BBC is well known to be a anti-semite news media.

Actually, I heard on the news that it's likely Israel leaked the information to put pressure on Iran and the UN. Not bad things.

So there ya go.

[Gaffer]

Actually, I heard on the news that it's likely Israel leaked the information to put pressure on Iran and the UN. Not bad things.

So there ya go.

I doubt that. It's something the Israelis are going to have to do eventually and announcing that will just put iran on the alert even more than they are. Saying it was leaked on purpose might be a way to try to throw the iranians off.

Such an attack takes complete surprise. At least one squadron probably two would have to clear a corridor through the iranian defenses so the bombers can get through and launch. And unlike in iraq's case, they have multiple sites that have to be hit. saddam was dunmb and had all his eggs in one basket. The iranians learned from that. So this leak is bad news for the success of the strike. And if the Israelis can't do it we will have too.