U.S., Israel Split Over Iran Strike

(Newsroom America) -- The United States and Israel are split over the timing of a potential strike against Iran's suspected nuclear weapons facilities, as Tehran says it won't back away from pursuing what its leaders have called a "peaceful" atomic program.

Washington and Tel Aviv have a "significant analytic difference" over assessments of just how close Iran is to protecting its nuclear program from attack, Aaron David Miller, a former Mideast peace negotiator in the Clinton administration, told Bloomberg News today.

"There’s a growing concern -- more than a concern -- that the Israelis, in order to protect themselves, might launch a strike without approval, warning or even foreknowledge," Miller said.

The difference of opinion was on display this week, as evidenced by public statements made by defense officials from Israel and the U.S.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the Jewish state must reach a decision on what to do about Iran's suspected weapons program before the Islamic republic reaches an "immunity zone," a reference to Iran's goal of protecting its uranium enrichment operations by moving them deep underground, to avoid attack.

"The world has no doubt that Iran’s nuclear program is steadily nearing readiness and is about to enter an immunity zone," Barak told attendees of the annual Herzliya Conference at the Interdisciplinary Center campus north of Tel Aviv.

"If the sanctions don’t achieve their goal of halting Iran’s nuclear weapons program, there will arise the need of weighing an operation," he added.

Meanwhile, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday the U.S. believes "there is still time and space to pursue diplomacy" to convince Iran to drop its program, adding that Washington "is absolutely committed to preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons."

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during his sermon Friday that any strike to damage Tehran's facilities would be met "10 times over" against U.S. interests in the Gulf.

In Washington, the Senate Banking Committee proposed legislation that would futher increase economic sanctions against Iran.

"The proposal targets Iran-related banking transactions, Iran’s national oil company and leading tanker fleet, joint ventures in mining and energy projects. It also would require corporate disclosure of Iran-related activity to the Securities and Exchange Commission," Bloomberg News reported.

At a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels Thursday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta would not comment on a Washington Post report that he believes Israel could strike Iran in April, May or June.

"Israel has indicated that they’re considering this" through public statements, he said. "And we have indicated our concerns."

© 2012 Newsroom America.

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