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Obama Officials Talking Tougher about Iran as Netanyahu Visit Approaches
(Bloomberg) John Walcott - Obama administration officials are escalating warnings that the U.S. could join Israel in attacking Iran if the Islamic republic doesn't dispel concerns that its nuclear program is aimed at producing weapons. Pentagon officials said military options being prepared start with providing aerial refueling for Israeli planes and also include attacking the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Qods Force, regular Iranian military bases and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security. Israeli officials have told their U.S. counterparts they think the Iranians see what they consider a pattern of irresolute administration behavior that includes abandoning former Egyptian President Mubarak, taking only a supporting role in the overthrow of Libya's Gaddafi, indecision on how to deal with violence in Syria, a rush to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, failure to retaliate against Iran for plotting to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S., and its inability to get Egypt to free the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.