Jerusalem: A senior US defence official has warned that an Israeli strike on Iran could have profoundly destabilising consequences, and would directly affect US interests.
"A unilateral third-party attack on Iran's nuclear program could have profoundly destabilising consequences, and it wouldn't just affect the general level of stability in the region. It would affect Israel's security and it would affect our interests, and the safety of our forces in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere," The Jerusalem Post quoted him, as saying.
"It's a pretty big deal, and given the closeness of our relationship with Israel, I think we would hope that they would take those strategic calculations into account," he added.
His remarks come ahead of US Defence Secretary Robert Gates’ Israeli visit next week.
Gates, who last week described the Islamic republic's nuclear drive as the greatest current threat to global security, is set to spend six hours here next Monday, discussing the Iranian threat with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak.
The Pentagon official also suggested that Syria might be ready to "fundamentally" reorient its position toward the United States, which would include restarting talks with Israel at a time when Hamas and Hezbollah have been put "on the defensive" by Obama administration.
His comments came on the heels of conflicting signs from the Obama administration about whether it had given Israel a so-called "green light" to attack Iran, after Vice President Joe Biden said, "Israel can determine for itself - it's a sovereign nation.”
Obama clarified on CNN later in the week that he had "absolutely not" given Israel permission to strike Iran.
The comments also followed a report in The Washington Times that Israel had not asked the US for permission for a possible military attack on Iran out of fear America would say no.
ANI
First Published: Monday, July 20, 2009, 12:38