OTTAWA—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Canada on March 2, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The visit comes as speculation grows whether Israel will mount a pre- emptive military strike to derail Iran’s nuclear weapons development in defiance of stiff economic sanctions and international condemnation.

Netanyahu is certain to get a warm reception from Harper and the Conservative cabinet, who have declared that Canada stands as a staunch backer of Israel on the world stage. And on the question of Iran, Netanyahu will find a close ally in Harper, who has said the country’s drive to develop nuclear weapons and its leadership represent a serious threat to world security.

“Their statements imply to me no hesitation about using nuclear weapons if they see them achieving their religious or political purposes. And . . . I think that’s what makes this regime in Iran particularly dangerous,” Harper told the CBC last month.

Other countries are urging caution, saying that sanctions and diplomatic efforts should be given more time to deter Iran. Canada imposed yet more sanctions against Iran at the end of January.

Netanyahu’s visit could also be the backdrop for Harper to announce his own visit to Israel. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty visited Israel earlier this month.

Meanwhile, in Iran, UN nuclear inspectors starting a two-day visit to Tehran on Monday sought to meet Iranian nuclear scientists and visit a key military facility as they try to gauge allegations that Iran is pushing toward making an atomic weapon.

The trip is the second in less than a month by the International Atomic Energy Agency team, reflecting growing concerns over alleged weapons experiments — something Iran has so far both denied and refused to discuss.

The trip came as Iran announced air defence war games to practice protecting nuclear and other sensitive sites, the latest in a series of military manoeuvres viewed as a message to the West that Iran is prepared both to defend itself against an armed strike and to retaliate.

Iran’s state radio said Monday the IAEA inspectors hope to meet Iranian nuclear scientists and visit the Parchin military complex. The report said the IAEA had requested to visit Parchin, an Iranian military base and conventional weapons development facility outside of Tehran. The site has also been suspected of housing a secret underground facility used for Iran’s nuclear program, a claim denied by Iranian authorities.

IAEA inspectors visited the site in 2005, but went to only one of four areas of potential interest within the grounds. At the time, the nuclear watchdog did not report any unusual activities but the Parchin site was prominently mentioned in the agency’s report last year.

The IAEA visit comes as Iran last week announced what it described as key advancements in its nuclear program, inserting the first domestically made fuel rod into a research reactor in Tehran and installing a new generation of Iranian-made centrifuges at the country’s main uranium enrichment facility in the central town of Natanz. With files from Associated Press (© Copyright Toronto Star 1996-2012 02/20/12)