Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that the United States has the capability to destroy Iran’s nuclear program “over a fraction of one night” in an interview Wednesday on CNBC. The interview is embedded below.
The U.S. needs to give Iranian leaders a clear choice: Get rid of your military nuclear program “or else,” former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak urged on Wednesday.
“The Pentagon and the forces of America under the backing and probably directive of the [U.S.] president [could] create an extremely effective means to destroy the Iranian nuclear military program over a fraction of one night,” the former Israeli leader told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in an interview. He described the type of targeted operation that could be undertaken as closer to the killing of Osama bin Laden than the war on Iraq.
Barak’s statement underscores the consensus across the Israeli political spectrum that the parameters of a nuclear deal announced last week don’t do enough roll back Iran’s nuclear program.
Barak also pointed out that what was announced last week did not constitute an agreement.
“There is no agreement, basically,” said Barak, arguing that President Barack Obama and his administration backed themselves into a corner by committing “all around the world and back home to pass this agreement.”
The Times of Israel gave a more detailed account of Barak’s remarks.
“I think that what is really needed is a clear message — it’s not too late to send an authoritative envoy of the president to come to [Iranian Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei, [Iranian President Hassan] Rouhani, close the door behind and tell them: ‘Gentlemen, we fully understand you, we are not going to embarrass you, we’re not going to humiliate you, but you have to understand: either you agree once and for all to dismantle your nuclear military program – or else.’” …
“Technically speaking, the Pentagon and the armed forces of America under the backing and probably directive of the president create extremely effective means of destroying the Iranian nuclear military program over a fraction of one night, in an operation which is much closer on the spectrum between the war on Iraq and the killing of Osama bin Laden, it’s much closer to killing Osama Bin Laden, and it’s something that should be understood — the Iranians can do nothing about it except for attacking Israel,” Barak said.
“All of us prefer a solution that might be through negotiations, but to negotiate – the other side should understand and believe, not just ‘fake-believe’ – he should understand and strongly believe that if they will not come to terms with the real demands to put all the enriched material out of Iran, to close [the underground nuclear facility at] Fordo, to stop all work on weaponization, on making preparations for a weapon – if all this is not agreed right now they face the alternative.”
[Photo: WashingtonInstitute / YouTube ]