(Ha'aretz) Gili Cohen - Israel last week tested a ballistic missile. "[On Friday] Israel conducted a launch of the rocket propulsion system from the Palmahim base," the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The test might have been of an advanced Jericho missile, which reportedly has a range of about 7,000 kilometers and can carry a warhead weighing more than 1,000 kilograms. That would be the third test of a Jericho in the past five years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cabinet Sunday, "Now, more than ever, given Iranian progress [in its nuclear program], it's important to intensify the economic sanctions and present a credible military option against Iran." Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said last week that following Iran's presidential election, Israel's policy remained to stop the Iranian nuclear program, "one way or another." "If the Iranian leadership exploits diplomatic talks to ease the economic sanctions but continues to enrich [uranium] - and the president-elect has written in his book about a 'talk and enrich strategy' - we will obviously not let this go by," Ya'alon said.
2013-07-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive