Barak claims ‘no difference in assessment’ between US, Israel on Iran

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday Syrian President Bashar Assad has lost his legitimacy, and his fall would be “very positive.”

Barak said the exit of Assad would weaken Iranian influence in the region, and that anti-Israel Iranian proxies in Lebanon and Gaza would suffer.

“The toppling of Assad will be… a major blow to Iran,” Barak told CNN. “It will be a very positive event.”

Speaking on the Thursday edition of “Amanpour” on CNN, Barak also addressed the growing concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. Recent reports from Iran have sounded promising, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei recently claiming that possessing nuclear weapons violates Islamic law. Nevertheless, Barak said that he follows “the facts on the ground; enrichment continues.”

Barak added that while it is true Khameini has yet to give an order “to start building a weapon or a device,” he believes that the reason is that beginning to build the weapon would risk bringing an American response. Nevertheless, Barak feels that Iran is “clearly heading toward this objective.

Barak also described the state of discussions between Israel and the United States as open and frank, saying that there is “no difference in the assessment of intelligence” between the two. “When we say and when the Americans say, when others are saying that all options are on the table, we mean it and we expect others to mean it as well.”

Barak met with US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Washington, DC, on Thursday. The two reportedly discussed urgent Middle East matters including not only the fighting in Syria, but also Iran’s nuclear program and American funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

According to Army Radio, after the meeting, Barak said that Israel and the United States continue to monitor developments in the region very closely and maintain regular contact with each other.