Israel unlikely to strike Iran this yearApril 3, 2009 - 11:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Robert Gates, U.S. Defense Secretary, has said Israel is unlikely to attack Iran this year to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Gates said there was still enough time to persuade Iran to abandon what is widely perceived to be a nuclear weapons program. Mr Gates said he does not expect Israel - which believes the U.S. estimate for when Iran could develop a nuclear weapon is too sanguine - to take military action this year. "I guess I would say I would be surprised if they did act this year," he said. As he was sworn in as the new Israeli prime minister this week, Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the greatest danger to Israel was Iran's attempt to develop nuclear weapons. But asked whether Iran would cross a nuclear "red line" this year, Mr Gates said: "I don't know, I would guess probably not". "I think we have more time than that. How much more time I don't know," said Mr Gates. "It is a year, two years, three years. It is somewhere in that window." Israel raised the specter of war last year by conducting a large scale military exercise that some experts saw as a practice run for an attack on Iran. Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs, later delivered an unusual public warning following a visit to Israel, saying "this is a very unstable part of the world, and I don't need it to be more unstable". Speaking before U.S. President Barack Obama meets NATO leaders in France and Germany this weekend, Mr Gates urged Europe to boost its commitment to Afghanistan in the wake of the new US strategy. Mr Gates, who has made multiple frustrated trips to Europe to get more combat troops, said the U.S. would request resources that were more politically palatable to the European public. He urged Europe to provide money for the expansion of the Afghan army, civilian experts in areas such as agriculture, health and clean water, and trainers for the Afghan police. Extrapolating from analyst assessments that the most advanced Jerichos carry 1,650-lb conventional warheads, Abdullah Toukan of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said 42 missiles would be enough to "severely damage or demolish" Iran's core nuclear sites at Natanz, Esfahan and Arak. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |