Although the renewed rocket attack on southern Israel by Gaza Arab terrorists has grabbed most of the headlines this week, Iran remains on top of Israel´s defense agenda. At a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington Wednesday, Vice Prime Minister and Kadima head Shaul Mofaz said that it was imperative that Iran´s nuclear program be stopped, and that no option should be taken off the table.

“After the failure at the third round of talks with the Iranians in Moscow, it is time for the United States and the Western powers to impose more severe sanctions in the oil embargo and financial sectors in order to stop Iran´s nuclear development program,” Mofaz said at the meeting. He added that in addition to these measures there is a need “to continue to prepare all of the other options.”

Agreeing with Mofaz was former British Prime Minister and current Quartet Middle East envoy Tony Blair. In an interview on IDF Army Radio Thursday, Blair said bluntly that “all options, including the military option, are still on the table. All these options are terrible,” Blair said, “but Iran cannot be allowed to go nuclear.

“I have already said a number of times that if we say that Iran cannot be allowed to be a nuclear power, we should mean it. We must be clear and say that all options are on the table.” A nuclear Iran, he said, would badly upset the stability of not only the Middle East, but the whole world. “This isn´t just Israel´s problem. The clearer and stronger we are, the less likely it is that we will have to actually use the military option,” he added. (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 06/21/12)