An Israeli newspaper reported Sunday that theObama administration's top security official has briefed Israel on U.S. plansfor a possible attack on Iran, seeking to reassure it that Washington isprepared to act militarily should diplomacy and sanctions fail to pressureTehran to abandon its nuclear enrichment program.
A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discussconfidential talks, said the article in the Haaretz daily was incorrect.
Haaretz said National Security Adviser Tom Donilon laid out the plans beforeIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a dinner at a visit to Israelearlier this month. It cited an unidentified senior American official as thesource of its report, which came out as presumptive Republican presidentialnominee Mitt Romney was telling Israel he would back an Israeli military strikeagainst Iran.
The American official also said Donilon shared information on U.S. weapons thatcould be used for such an attack, and on the U.S. military's ability to reachIranian nuclear facilities buried deep underground, the newspaper said. Itcited another U.S. official involved in the talks with Israel as concludingthat "the time for a military operation against Iran has not yetcome."
The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss aconfidential meeting, said, "Nothing in the article is correct. Donilondid not meet the prime minister for dinner, he did not meet him one-on-one, nordid he present operational plans to attack Iran." He had no informationwhen asked if Donilon had discussed any kind of attack plans with any Israeliofficial. Haaretz said another Israeli official attended for part of themeeting.
The U.S. Embassy had no immediate comment. Haaretz cited Tommy Vietor, aspokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, as declining to comment onthe confidential discussion between Netanyahu and Donilon. The White House alsodeclined comment.
Both Israel and the U.S. think Iran's ultimate aim is to develop weaponstechnology, and not just produce energy and medical isotopes as Tehran claims.U.S. officials are concerned that Israel might attack Iranian nuclearfacilities prematurely, and have been trying to convince Israeli leaders theycan depend on Washington to keep Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly said they would not contract out their country'ssecurity to another nation.
In Jerusalem on Sunday, a top Romney foreign policy adviser told reporters,"If Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran fromdeveloping the capability (to build a nuclear weapon), the governor would respectthat decision." Romney also thinks the option of a U.S. attack should alsobe on the table.