Israel Plans Iran Attack Before U.S. Elections: Report

(Newsroom America) -- An Israeli television station said Monday that Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu planned to launch an attack against Iran, targeting its nuclear infrastructure, prior to the November elections in the United States.

The station's military reporter, Alon Ben-David, said Netanyahu "is determined to attack Iran before the U.S. elections" and that now Israel is now “closer than ever” to a strike designed to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive, The Times of Israel reported on its Web site.

The site reported that Ben-David was given extensive access to the Israeli Air Force earlier this year as it allegedly trained for a strike against Iran's atomic sites.

Tehran has vowed a massive reprisal and has threatened to blockage the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil passes, if attacked - a measure the U.S. has said it would not permit.

Ben-David said that since sanctions on Iran have failed to deter the regime from continuing to develop nuclear weapons, "from the prime minister’s point of view, the time for action is getting ever closer."

"It appears that we are closer than ever," he said in response to a question about how close Netanyahu was in making his decision, adding that it wasn't clear the Israeli leader would wait until after a planned meeting with President Obama following a UN General Assembly meeting in New York next month.

In any event, he said, "I doubt Obama could say anything that would convince Netanyahu to delay a possible attack."

The Obama administration has said it opposes an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, and U.S. military officials have expressed doubt that the Jewish state, despite its capabilities, would be able to successfully pull off such a large-scale attack. But Washington has not ruled out military action to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Meanwhile Tuesday, Iran unveiled new weapons and upgrades to existing weapons systems, including a new short-range ballistic missile and a more powerful naval engine, reports said.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at a ceremony marking Defense Industry Day, said the weapons were purely for defensive use.

"Defensive advances are meant to defend human integrity, and are not meant to be offensive moves toward others," he said, according to Mehr news agency.

"I have no doubt that our defensive capabilities can stand up to bullying and put a halt to their plans," he said, alluding to threats by Israel, the U.S. and other Western nations.

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