Several UK papers focus on upcoming talks between Iran and the world’s powers in an effort to halt the enrichment of weapon-grade uranium. The BBC, Daily Mirror, the Independent and the Daily Telegraph quote US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro who said the US is ready to launch an attack on Iran if talks to prevent it building nuclear weapons fail, according to a Washington envoy. BBC reports that the head of Syria’s main opposition umbrella body, the Syrian National Council, said he would resign amid growing criticism and rifts within the group. The Guardian runs readers letters on the Israeli-Palestinian political dialogue. The Independent reports that Israel has urged the international community to overturn the International Olympic Committee’s decision not to mark the death of 11 Israeli athletes in the 1972 Munich Olympics with a minute silence. The Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror notes counter-terrorism police in Turkey were reportedly called in to deal with the case of a dead bird that was suspected of being an Israeli spy.

An article published by former Mossad director Meir Dagan, former CIA director James Woolsey and other Western intelligence officials and diplomats in the Wall Street Journal, calling to apply “total sanctions” and “decisive economic pressure” against Iran before resorting to the option of military action, is widely reported and analysed in the Israeli media today. Israel Radio news and Ynet reports that the US will provide Israel with another $70 million to procure Iron Dome batteries. The Iranian nuclear program was also discussed during Barak’s meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Haaretz, Ynet and the Jerusalem Post report that Republicans in the US Senate blocked a bill that would have imposed further sanctions on Iran. Ynet runs an in-depth Reuters report on Israeli calculations on the Iranian threat and the Israeli public’s attitudes toward a possible military strike on Iran.  Haaretz also reports that Israel Police has established a new task force ahead of a number of demolitions of West Bank settlements and outposts that are due to take place by the end of this year. However, as a report in Israel Hayom notes, the demolition of houses in the Givat Haulpana neighbourhood and the removal of Migron may not ultimately materialise due to political pressures. All papers note a cover story in Time Magazine, which focuses on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The main domestic story in the Israeli press focuses on tension in south Tel Aviv, in the wake of several incidents of rape allegedly committed by migrant workers and asylum seekers. All papers note the passing away of Kadima MK and former GSS (Israel’s security service) deputy director Gideon Ezra.