Israel making case for striking Iran nuke sites

U.S. and allies plead with Israelis to wait for sanctions to bite.

WASHINGTON — Israel’s major allies in the West are working hard to talk it out of a unilateral military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, arguing forcefully that an attack ultimately would strengthen, not weaken, the regime in Tehran.

The United States is leading the persuasion initiative, even though Washington largely has concluded that outside argument will have little effect on Israeli decision-making.

Iran’s regime says it wants to extinguish the Jewish state, and the West accuses it of assembling the material and know-how to build a nuclear bomb.

Israel fears Iran is approaching a point at which a limited military strike would not be enough to head off an Iranian bomb.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday that the world increasingly is ready to consider a military strike against Iran if economic sanctions don’t persuade it to give up suspect parts of its nuclear program. Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes.

Israeli officials asserted at a security conference Thursday that Iran already has produced enough enriched uranium to eventually build four rudimentary nuclear bombs, and was developing missiles capable of reaching the U.S.

Much of the agenda seemed aimed at strengthening Israel’s case for a strike, if it chose to make one.

The U.S. hopes to hold off an Israeli strike at least until the latest round of sanctions — the first to hit Iran’s oil sector directly — take effect. They argue that a strike would do more harm than good and would endanger Israel and every nation seen as allied with it.