“Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia Seek Nuclear Club”
If Iran becomes the owner of nuclear weapons, it will pose a significant threat to Israel's security. Israel will therefore do its utmost to delay Tehran's entry into the nuclear club. This was stated by Uzi Arad – a professor at the Lauder School of Political, Diplomatic and Strategic Relations, a member of the International Advisory Board of the Luxembourg Forum, a former adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister on national security.
Photo: AP
“In exceptional circumstances, we will not abandon the use of military measures to limit or end Iran's nuclear program,” Uzi Arad said on the YouTube channel of the Luxembourg Forum on Nuclear Disaster Prevention. “But that doesn't exhaust the resources we have at our disposal: some of them have already been used, some can be used in the future.”
In particular, he said that “ covert operations were already being carried out to disorganize or slow down certain work on Iran's nuclear program, making it more difficult for Iranians to move forward and gain time. & # 39; & # 39;
The expert noted that these operations are often not backed by Israel, but by “ other stakeholders, including the United States and its allies. & # 39; & # 39;
At the same time, Uzi Arad emphasized the importance of “constructive diplomacy” in solving Iran's nuclear problem. “ We have a rich selection of resources, some of which should be used creatively by all Allies to achieve the desired result, so that Iran never even comes close to gaining military nuclear potential, & # 39; & # 39; he said.
Uzi Arad did not rule out the fact that the conflict between Iran and Israel is “ increasingly escalating. & # 39; & # 39; According to him, this confrontation is not between countries, but between blocs. Israel's position is shared by a number of Sunni Arab countries, and Iran's allies are Lebanese Hezbollah, the Syrian regime.
“The conflict may actually escalate,” Uzi Arad said. “And that's a serious problem.”
In assessing Iran's progress in implementing its nuclear program, the expert said: “They have made great progress in recent months. Iran is now much closer than ever to getting enough material to build its first, state-of-the-art nuclear facility in a matter of weeks. & # 39; & # 39;
In his view, the aim of the Iranians is to maintain the possibility of developing a nuclear program while reducing its & nbsp; economic costs associated with sanctions.
According to him, “There is an impression that the Iranian authorities still intend to have a military nuclear arsenal.” He recalled that in the past Iran had a program with a fixed time frame, which stated that after a certain number of years, Iran should have an arsenal of at least five nuclear warheads.
Uzi Arad believes that Tehran understands the risks of a pre-emptive war against it. “ A pre-emptive strike against Iran will cost him dearly, but will thwart Iran's efforts to build a nuclear arsenal, & # 39; & # 39; He said. An Israeli expert believes that the rise of Iran's nuclear weapons will have a ripple effect in the Middle East. “ He fears that if Iran becomes a nuclear power, then there is a possibility that Saudi Arabia (for its own reasons), Egypt (also for its own reasons) and even Turkey could follow suit and acquire nuclear weapons with one or more. next destination, & # 39; & # 39; said Uzi Arad.
He did not rule out that new types of weapons, no less destructive than nuclear, would appear in the future. “In the long run, I do not rule out the possibility of phasing out nuclear weapons, but not because the world will become less hostile, but because nuclear weapons will be replaced by new technologies,” said the expert.