BICOM

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, televised on US television yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that it was clear that Iran was pursuing its nuclear weapon ambitions. He added that the world must make clear to Iran that it would face credible military action if sanctions failed to halt its nuclear programme. “The only thing that will work is if Iran knew that if sanctions fail there will be a credible military option,” Netanyahu said. He added that if military action were to be taken he would prefer the US to take the lead and carry out the strike. “This is not just our problem. This is the problem of Europe, and the United States,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu’s interview with CNN covered various issues in the region, including the protests and uprisings taking place across the Middle East, Gulf States and northern Africa. Netanyahu said that he is not surprised that Saudi Arabia dispatched troops to Bahrain as the Saudis are concerned that Iran would dominate Bahrain. “Saudi Arabia is working to protect its own interests. But there is a very large global interest in making sure the world’s oil wells, that the largest reserves of the world’s oil supply do not fall into Iranian or pro-Iranian hands,” he noted. Regarding the pro-democracy protests around the Arab world, Netanyahu said that with real democratic change the Middle East will have a “brilliant future”.

On the topic of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Netanyahu noted Israel’s efforts to reach an agreement. He said that he believed peace is possible but added that a peace deal with a Palestinian government involving Hamas was not a possibility, as Hamas is still committed to Israel’s destruction.