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Will Netanyahu Now Attack Iran’s Nuclear Program?

There has been much speculation of late by experts and the media that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might try to use a Trump victory in the U.S. to fulfill his obsession with wiping out Iran’s nuclear program. Fox News ran a story Nov. 5 which reported: “Netanyahu warned Iran last week that Israel may target Tehran’s nuclear program if the country moves forward with another attack on Israel.… `The supreme objective that I have set for the IDF and the security services is to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons,’ Netanyahu said while speaking at a course graduation ceremony for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). `Halting the nuclear program has been—and remains—our chief concern. I have not taken, we have not taken, and we will not take, our eyes off this objective,’ he added.”

These comments should be viewed along with the spin put on the Oct. 26 Israeli air attack on Iran by London’s The Economist and their neocon hod-carriers in the U.S. On Oct. 30, Jonathan Sweet and Mark Toth had written in The Hill that Israel’s attack was merely a “demonstration of Israeli capability with the option to exploit vulnerabilities later—after the American election on Nov. 5.” On Oct. 31, The Economist ran a more extensive provocation headlined “Israel Is Keeping Open the Nuclear Option. It has prepared a path to hit Iran’s nuclear sites after America’s election.”

It stated: “The armada of more than 100 Israeli planes that flew east on October 26th instead hit only military facilities. But in doing so they may have disarmed Iran and paved the way for deeper and more ambitious attacks in the future.

“Iran has long operated four batteries of the Russian-made S-300 air-defense system. In April, after another Iranian missile barrage, Israel neutralized one by destroying its target-engagement radar. Israeli sources suggest that the three remaining systems were taken out on October 26th….

“The strike on October 26th used some stealthy F-35 jets to penetrate Iranian airspace. A larger number of non-stealthy F-15 and F-16 jets fired long-range ballistic missiles from Iraqi airspace. A strike on Iran’s deeply buried nuclear sites would require much more ordnance dropped from closer to the target.

“That is now easier to achieve….

“Israel would probably need America’s assistance in a full-fledged assault on Iranian nuclear sites, not least given the number of munitions involved, which would tax even Israel’s large and capable air force. It may yet get it. America’s Central Command worked exceptionally closely with Israel in planning the latest strikes, according to Israeli security officials. On October 4th Donald Trump encouraged Israel to go after nuclear facilities: `That’s the thing you want to hit, right?’ Should Mr. Trump be re-elected on November 5th, Mr Netanyahu might decide that the moment is ripe for such an attack. Iran would now find it much harder to parry it.”