Iran's Concerns Over Possible Israeli Attack on Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, CNS News - 2003-08-22

Jerusalem - An Iranian expert announced on Tuesday that Iran is deeply concerned about a potential Israeli attack on the nearly completed Bushehr nuclear power plant, similar to the incident that occurred in 1981 with Iraq's nuclear reactor. Tehran is completing its nuclear plant in collaboration with Russia and announced last week that it is also planning to build a second plant. Both Iran and Russia have emphasized that these plants will be used for civilian purposes, but Western analysts believe that Iran's nuclear program is a precursor to developing nuclear weapons that Iran will have access to in the coming years. Last week, the Washington Post reported that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon discussed Iran's nuclear development during his recent meeting with President Bush in Washington. According to reports, Sharon told Bush that U.S. intelligence estimates indicate that Iran will be equipped with nuclear weapons within two to three years. Iran will be capable of producing a nuclear warhead within one or two years. He shared these concerns with Washington and stated that Israel is considering a preemptive strike. Washington has made several unsuccessful attempts in recent years to convince Russia not to cooperate with Iran in completing the nuclear power plant. The construction of this plant began before the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. On Tuesday, Iran warned Israel that it would pay a price for any attack on the nuclear facility. Hamid Reza Asefi, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, expressed hope that Israel would not engage in 'adventurous actions.' Asefi referenced Israel's bombing of Iraq's nuclear facility in 1981, stating, 'Israel has shown in the past that it is interested in adventurism and does not adhere to any principles. If it makes such a mistake, it will pay a heavy price.' Manashe Amir, an expert on Iranian affairs, says such statements indicate that Tehran takes the possibility of an Israeli attack on the nuclear facility seriously. Amir adds that even if the U.S. backs off and Israel fails to convince the world that Iran's nuclear program should be halted, it seems Iran is convinced that Israel will act on its own. Israeli experts believe that Israel will exhaust all its options, including an attack similar to the one on Iraq's nuclear facility built by the French. Last month, Israel announced that it is concerned about the readiness of the Shahab-3 ballistic missile, which was successfully tested by the Revolutionary Guards. This missile, manufactured in Iran, has a range of 800 miles (1300 kilometers) and can target Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Reports indicate that this missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.