Ya'alon: Nuclear Iran could plant dirty bomb anywhere in West
Defense minister tells Canadian counterpart Robert Nicholson that Iran is involved in every Mideast conflict; says nuke project must be stopped.
By YAAKOV LAPPINHagel and Ya'alon in Canada 370(photo credit: Ariel Hermoni, Defense Ministry)
Israel is very concerned by the proposed initial deal between the international community and Iran that is on the table in Geneva, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon told US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in Canada on Friday.The two met during the fifth annual International Security Forum, a conference comprised of defense ministers in Halifax.“The Middle East is a place of ongoing instability, and it is expected to remain like this in the coming years. We are very concerned by developments in negotiations with Iran. We believe that the deal placed on the table is very bad, and even if such a deal is signed, there is still much to accomplish to bring the regime in Iran to the dilemma of choosing between a bomb or survival,” he continued.Ya’alon thanked Hagel for providing final approval over the sale of V-22 aircraft to Israel in the near future, adding that they will form another layer in the IDF’s power.“The US and Israel have a deep strategic partnership, based on common values and interests. We very much appreciate the intimate cooperation between the US and Israel, a true friendship that overcomes differences in opinion that appear from time to time, and the extraordinary relationship between the security establishments,” the defense minister said.Ya’alon met his Canadian counterpart, Robert Nicholson, on Thursday.During their meeting, Ya’alon said the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 provided a boost to radical Islam all over the world.The Iranian regime has become the central cause for instability in the Middle East, and beyond, he stated, adding, “This regime is involved in every conflict in the Middle East, and is planting stakes of terrorism in Africa, Asia and in South America. They want to defeat Western civilization, and are prepared to sacrifice for this.”Under a nuclear umbrella, Iran wants to promote terrorist activities, such as detonating a dirty bomb in various locations in the West, Ya’alon warned.“Hence, there cannot be tolerance to the possibility of a nuclear Iran. In one way or another, the nuclear-military Iranian project must be stopped,” he said.
