BETHLEHEM: The Israeli Foreign Ministry has launched a flurry of diplomatic activities aimed at pressuring a series of the world’s leading countries to impose sanctions on Iran, even if the Security Council fails to make such a decision, the daily Yediot Ahronot reported on Friday.
The report said that Israel is trying to impress upon the United States, Australia, Canada and some leading European countries to tighten the economic blockade on Iran.
According to the report, the goal is to undermine the stability of the Iranian regime in order to force it to choose between preserving its regime and halting its nuclear program.
In one of the discussions between Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the report quoted the foreign minister as saying that there was a possibility that China — and perhaps Russia as well — would prevent the UN Security Council from imposing severe sanctions on Iran. This assumption is based on difficulties revealed in the past four rounds of sanctions imposed on Tehran, during which Beijing and Moscow were in no hurry to act against Iran’s attempt to attain a nuclear bomb.
The report quoted Lieberman as saying in closed forums that the target date for taking action outside the UN framework must follow the General Assembly meeting in September.
If Obama’s dialogue with Iran fails, and China and Russia thwart tough Security Council sanctions, Lieberman believes Israel must aim to have a separate blockade imposed by each Western country, with tight cooperation.
According to the foreign minister, this effort should include — outside the UN framework — the European Union countries and the organization in Brussels, Canada, Australia and of course the US, which would lead the entire move.
The report said that Lieberman has instructed Israel’s envoys abroad to work to form effective moves.
Only tough sanctions, which will not allow the Iranian regime to continue ignoring the world, will make it possible to stop the nuclear plan,” the foreign minister said.
State officials have estimated that China and Russia may prevent an effective blockade aimed at stopping the Iranian nuclear program. Such a blockade, the sources explained, should include harming the Iranian oil export market and preventing it from shipping goods out of its ports.
The Jerusalem forum’s working premise is that such effective action is the only way to really threaten Iranian regime ahead of the possibility of forceful action.
