Israel warns of Iran nuclear bomb

on 27/09/2012 20:49:27

Iran will have enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear bomb by next summer, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the United Nations today.

Mr Netanyahu said the world must draw a clear "red line" to make Iran back down from its nuclear plans.

He said it is getting "late, very late" to stop Iran.

Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly argued that time is quickly running out to stop the Islamic republic becoming a nuclear power and the threat of force must be seriously considered.

Flashing a diagram showing the progress Iran has made, he said: "Red lines don't lead to war, red lines prevent war. Nothing could imperil the world more than a nuclear-armed Iran."

Mr Netanyahu said Iran had completed the first stage of uranium enrichment, saying "they are 70% of the way there".

Israeli leaders have issued a series of warnings in recent weeks suggesting that if Iran's uranium enrichment programme continues, it may soon stage a unilateral military strike, flouting even American wishes.

The Obama administration has urgently sought to hold off Israeli military action, which would probably result in the US being pulled into a conflict and cause region-wide mayhem on the eve of American elections.

Israel considers a nuclear-armed Iran to be a threat, citing Iranian denials of the Holocaust, its calls for Israel's destruction, its development of missiles capable of striking the Jewish state and its support for hostile Arab militant groups.

Mr Netanyahu said: "Given this record of Iranian aggression without nuclear weapons, just imagine Iranian aggression with nuclear weapons."