Ya’alon: Iran’s regime must choose between survival and the
“I think that despite the precious time wasted on diplomatic efforts, the nuclearization of Iran can still be prevented.”
By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMANYaalon Herzconf298(photo credit: )
The international community must make clear to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that his regime would not endure if he persists in his efforts to obtain nuclear weapons, Vice Premier Moshe Ya’alon said Wednesday, in a speech at the Herzliya Conference.Ya’alon said he was pleased that the world was taking the Iranian nuclear threat more seriously, but he warned that Iran would succeed in becoming a nuclear power if the world failed to expedite economic sanctions and maintain a serious threat to use force.“I think that despite the precious time wasted on diplomatic efforts, the nuclearization of Iran can still be prevented,” Ya’alon said. “The Iranian regime must be told to choose between the bomb and survival. When given the same choice in 2003 the regime chose survival.”Ya’alon said it was very important that the free world had realized that Iran’s nuclearization must be prevented. But he said efforts must be maintained to keep the world on board, ahead of the critical test of passing sanctions in the United Nations and ensuring that they are implemented.“Iran must be told that the leading nations of the world are determined and ready to make [preventing Iran’s nuclearization] their top priority even if it means paying a price financially and security-wise,” Ya’alon said. “Iran’s extremist regime must be made aware that all options are still on the table and ignoring the international community’s demands would likely end in bitter tears for Iran.”Elaborating on the possibility of using force, Ya’alon said, “The planis to stop it, be it through regime change in Iran or through, with noother choice, the use of force in order to remove Iran’s ability todevelop nuclear weapons.”Ya’alon blasted the UN for focusing on Israel instead of Iran. He saidAhmadinejad’s regime was encouraged by the UN Human Rights Council’stargeting of Israel and its lack of help for the opposition movement inIran.
