Israel prepares for air strikes on Iran

The Israeli army is ready to launch air strikes on major Iranian nuclear facilities if the new government would give him the order, said the British daily The Times Saturday, citing Israeli sources.

•     “Israel wants to be sure that if its army received the green light, it could strike Iran in a few days or even hours. It is prepared on all levels with this. The message to Iran that the threat is not just verbal,” said a senior Israeli defense to the Times.
  
      Among the preparatory measures, Israel must acquire three AWACS radar planes and is planning exercises at the national level to prepare the population for possible retaliation.
  
      Israeli officials estimate that more than a dozen targets should be set in Iran, including mobile convoys. The sites covered include Natanz in the east, where several thousand centrifuges to enrich uranium, Isfahan in the center, where tunnels are home to 250 tons of gas and Arak in the east where Iran is building a heavy water reactor.
  
      “We do not express threats against Iran without having the means to achieve them. There has been recent progress, several times in preparation, which indicates a willingness on the part of Israel to act,” said an intelligence official to the Times.
  
      However, it is unlikely that Israel launches strikes without at least a tacit agreement of the U.S. administration, which has adopted a more conciliatory tone toward Tehran, adds that source.
  
      
      
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.