Israel's military chief Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz has said the army is prepared to launch an attack on Iran' s nuclear facilities once a government decision to that end is made.
"In principle, we are ready for action. The State of Israel thinks that a nuclear-armed Iran is a very bad thing that must be stopped... We're preparing our plans accordingly," Gantz said in an Independence Day interview with Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot, excerpts of which were released on Sunday.
Describing 2012 as "critical" for the progression of Tehran's nuclear drive, Gantz said Israel is "the only country in the world that someone is calling to destroy and is building the means to do so. But that does not mean I'm sending [Air Force commander Ido] Nehushtan to Iran this very minute."
In the interview, which will be published in full on Wednesday, Gantz disclosed that the army has dramatically increased the operations it conducts deep behind enemy lines, as part of preparations for a potential war.
"There is barely a point in time in which something isn't taking place somewhere in the world. The level of risk has also gone up," Gantz said. "I'm not taking the credit. I'm simply accelerating all those special operations."
Xinhua
patan ganida?
