French president says Israel has a military contingency against Iran
Officials in Paris say Israel could 'humiliate' the regime in Tehran if the two engaged in combat
Unlike other countries, Israel has a military option planned against Iran, French President Francois Hollande told the Hebrew daily Maariv at the weekend. A second French official said Israel would humiliate Iran if the two engaged in a military conflict.
According to the report published on Sunday, the French president is in favor of strengthening the sanctions against Tehran while simultaneously offering the Iranian regime incentives to stop its nuclear program and “rejoin” the international community.
Hollande told Maariv that while he was sure Israel had a military contingency for Iran, such a move could lead to instability in the region and throughout the entire world.
An unnamed official in the French administration told the Hebrew daily that Israel would come out victorious in a confrontation with Iran. If Israel attacked Iran, “Iran wouldn’t be able to respond properly and would be humiliated,” he said.
However, the source also warned about the limited success of such an Israeli attack. The point where Israel could stop the Iranian program has passed, he said; an Israeli strike would only slow it down and achieve a tactical, but not a strategic, gain.
Both Hollande and the official voiced their anger at Iran for using negotiations with international powers to stall for time and not for seeking real solutions.