US-Israeli push for accord over Iran

America’s most senior soldier arrived in Israel yesterday for consultations with military and political leaders amid speculation that the two countries are disagreeing on how best to stop Iran’s nuclear programme.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, is due to meet Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, and Ehud Barak, defence minister, for secret talks expected to focus on Iran and the issue of a possible Israeli strike against its nuclear facilities.

Israeli commentators and analysts believe the visit is part of a broader effort by the US administration to persuade Israel not to embark on air strikes in the near future – or at least to give Washington warning before any attack.

The US and Israel are thought to differ on a range of issues relating to Iran’s programme. Some senior Israelis believe a decision must be made this year on whether to bomb Iran’s nuclear installations because Tehran is getting close to building a weapon. However, the US believes Iran is still not close to conducting a test.

Michael Herzog, a retired general and former adviser to Israeli defence ministers, told the Financial Times: “There are some in Israel who argue that this is the year in which big decisions have to be taken on Iran.

“If Iran were to take the decision to build a bomb now, it might still take them more than a year before they have a nuclear weapon. But if they were to take that strategic decision in 2013, the amount of time it would take for them to break out to a weapon may be considerably shorter than a year.”

He added that Iranians were “immunising” their nuclear programme to attack, which was why some in Israel were concerned there was “very little time to act”.

A second area of disagreement between the governments concerns the “red lines” that Iran must not be allowed to cross on the path towards nuclear capability. Most analysts assume that Israel will be far less tolerant of further Iranian progress, even if the country stops short of actually building a nuclear bomb.

Israeli and US officials have played down reports of a rift, emphasising that both governments are determined to stop Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. However, some Israeli leaders have openly voiced disappointment with Washington’s stance on sanctions against the Iranian regime, arguing that curbs have to be tougher and implemented more quickly.

“Usually these kinds of disagreements are not out in the open,” said Shlomo Brom, a retired Israeli general and former head of the army’s strategic planning division who is now with the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “I think this is the unusual aspect of the current disagreement – now it is out in the open.”

Mr Brom added: “The impression that I have is that the US is not confident Israel will not take unilateral steps and attack the Iranian nuclear programme. One of the reasons for this is the reluctance of Israel to make clear that it will not take such a step without co-ordination with the US.”

Tensions between Iran and the west have risen in recent weeks as both the European Union and the US prepare to put fresh economic pressure on the Tehran regime. The latest escalation is believed to have played a key role in this week’s decision by the US and Israel to postpone a military exercise.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012.