SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) - US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta denied media reports that he would discuss possible military attack plans against Iran during a brief visit to “Israel”.
Speaking at a press conference in Cairo shortly before departing for “Israel”, Panetta said he would be talking about "various contingencies", but said specific military plans would not be put forward.
"I think it's the wrong characterisation to say we are going to be discussing potential attack plans. What we are discussing are various contingencies and how we would respond," he said.
Asked whether these included military options, he said: "We obviously continue to work on a number of options in that area, but the discussions that I hope to have with “Israel” are going to be more about what is the threat that we're confronting and to try to share both information and intelligence on that."
Western powers believe Iran is seeking the technology to build a nuclear bomb and “Israel” has repeatedly hinted it might use force to try to halt its arch foe's atomic programme. Tehran says its nuclear work is for peaceful purposes.
The United States has said it is determined to prevent Iran from getting the bomb, but has called on “Israel” to give more time for increasingly severe economic sanctions to work.
"Both of our countries are committed to ensuring that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon and to that extent we continue to work together in the effort to ensure that Iran does not reach that point of developing a nuclear weapon," Panetta said.
Top selling “Israel”i daily Yedioth Ahronoth said on Tuesday that Panetta intended to show “Israel”i leaders the plans being drawn up by the Pentagon to stop Iran if diplomacy and sanctions failed to persuade Tehran to halt its nuclear programme.
Benjamin Netanyahu said he had not yet decided whether to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, dismissing repeated media reports that the military objected to such an operation against far-flung, fortified Iranian sites.
He said that the debate in the media about a possible offensive was "harmful" and "not serious".
