PM Netanyahu tells cabinet Rohani’s election has not slowed or changed Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

The PM calls for harsher sanctions & to discuss ‘credible military option’

By Noam (Dabul) Dvir

“A month has passed since elections were held in Iran, and Iran continues to race toward the development of military nuclear capability,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.

Rohani – Photo: AP

The PM said that under President-Elect Hassan Rohani‘s leadership Iran is “expanding and perfecting its (uranium) enrichment while simultaneously developing a plutonium reactor to produce material for a nuclear bomb.

“At the same time, Iran is also developing its ballistic missile force. These (developments) threaten not only us, but the entire West. We are determined to stand behind our demands, which must also be the demands of the international community,” Netanyahu told his ministers.

The Israeli premier went on to list the demands from Iran: “Stop all uranium production, remove all enriched material (from the country) and close the illegal nuclear facility in Qom.

“We believe that now more than ever, in light of Iran’s progress, it is important (that the international community) tighten the economic sanctions and make Iran face a credible military option,” the PM said.

A Pentagon report stated that China, Iran and North Korea are aggressively developing nuclear missiles capable of striking the United States and proliferation among these nations of technology is rife, the British newspaper Daily Mail reported over the weekend.

The Department of Defense report, the findings of which were first published by the Washington Times, confirms the assessment of US intelligence agencies that Iran is set to test an intercontinental ballistic missile as early as 2015.

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4404691,00.html