Israel urges Russia to pressure Iran over nukes

JERUSALEM — Israel urged Russia President Vladimir Putin, visiting Jerusalem on Monday, to step up pressure on Iran to curb its suspected nuclear program.

With Russia an influential voice in the international debate over Iran, the outcome of Putin’s 24-hour visit could have deep implications for whether Israel decides to strike Tehran’s nuclear facilities or give the international community more time to find a diplomatic solution to the standoff.

Israel and Russia enjoy deep economic and cultural relations bolstered by the more than 1 million immigrants from the former Soviet Union who now live in the Jewish state. But they have deeply differing approaches to Iran’s nuclear program and the uprising in Iran’s close ally, Syria. Russia has blocked drastic action against the two countries; Israel repeatedly has hinted it might act militarily to stop Iran’s nuclear program.

Putin, in a brief statement after meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said their talks covered the situation in Iran and the bloody uprising in Syria. Putin, however, said he believes negotiations are the only solution for such matters.

Netanyahu countered with far more detail.

“We agree that nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran pose a grave danger, first for Israel but also for the region and the whole world,” he said. “Two things need to be done now — we need to bolster the sanctions and bolster the demands.”

The prime minister insisted that all uranium enrichment in Iran must cease and that an underground nuclear facility near Qom be dismantled. He said “the killing and horrible suffering of the Syrian people” must be stopped.

Israel perceives Iran as its most dangerous enemy because it is convinced Tehran’s nuclear program is aimed to build bombs and not for peaceful purposes such as energy production, as Iran insists. The fears are compounded by Tehran’s frequent calls for Israel’s destruction, support for anti-Israel militants and arsenal of ballistic missiles.

Israel repeatedly said that it won’t tolerate a nuclear Iran. Although preferring a diplomatic solution, Israel also has hinted of using a military strike as a last resort. Israel itself is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons.

Iran is under four sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions because of its nuclear program. Israel has welcomed the sanctions but warned they are not enough.

Efforts aimed at tougher U.N. sanctions have been opposed in the Security Council by Russia and China — both permanent veto-wielding members that have extensive financial interests in Iran.

Russia has built a $1 billion nuclear reactor in Bushehr. Bowing to U.S. and Israeli demands, though, Russia has scrapped a deal to sell Iran long-range missiles that could provide a powerful deterrent against a potential air attack.

Text copyright © 2012 by Trib Total Media, Inc.