Only a couple of days ago, a senior official of Revolutionary Guard said that Iran could launch a pre-emptive strike if Israel prepares to attack it. Israel ratcheted up war rhetoric during the recent weeks because in its calculus the time before the November 6 presidential election would be the best to pressure the US.
It reckoned that Obama administration would go all-out in its support for fear of risking the ire of the powerful Jewish lobby so close to the election. The thinking though is not working. The Iran issue has not figured anywhere in the presidential campaign. Mindful of the mood in his own party, Obama's Republican rival, Mitt Romney, has chosen to avoid brandishing threats to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. Obama therefore is under no pressure to meet Israeli demand. In fact, a recent press report claimed the administration has been in secret talks with Iran - the claim, of course, has been rubbished by the White House - via European intermediaries, saying the US would not attack Iran's nuclear facilities in return for Iran's pledge that it would not target American installations in the Gulf region in any retaliatory action it might take against Israel.
Although Washington has denied any such contact took place, its recent publicly stated position is not any different. Talking to reporters in London a few days ago, US Joint Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey made it clear that his country would be no part of it if Israel decided to take unilateral action. Saying that such an Israeli attack would be ineffective, he added "I don't want to be complicit if they [the Israelis] choose to do it." For now, Iran can breathe a sigh of relief as regards the threat of military strike; the pressure of economic sanctions and political isolation, though, will remain.
Comments
Comments are closed.