JERUSALEM (AP) — IDF chief Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz hinted on Thursday that other countries could also strike Iran’s nuclear sites to keep the Islamic republic from acquiring atomic weapons.
Speaking on the 64th anniversary of Israel’s independence, Gantz said, “not only our force but other forces as well” are willing to attack Iran.
He told The Associated Press that he believed Iran will “never get” nuclear weapons because the threat of a military strike and international pressure in the form of crippling economic sanctions are a powerful deterrent.
Gantz’s remarks reflect his belief that Israel may not have to act alone in a last-resort strike against Iran.
He did not mention any specific countries but said his assessment was “based on reality.”
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Iran denies it seeks nuclear arms, insisting its program is for peaceful purposes only.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
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