Israel could attack Iranian nuclear sites in two or three years, its defence minister has said in unusually explicit comments about a possible timeline.
"In two or three years, you may be traversing the skies eastward and taking part in an attack on nuclear sites in Iran," Benny Gantz told graduating air force cadets in a speech on Wednesday.
It follows last month's comments from army general Aviv Kochavi, who said Israel and the US would speed up military plans to counter Iran as it aggressively pursues its nuclear agenda.
“We are at a critical point in time that requires the acceleration of operational plans and co-operation against Iran and its terrorist proxies in the region," Lt Kochavi said during a visit to Washington.
Iran has ramped up its uranium enrichment as efforts to revive the now-tattered 2015 nuclear deal continue to fail. It now has a large stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent, one step away from being able to produce a nuclear bomb.
Officials from the UN's nuclear watchdog visited Iran earlier this month in an effort to end an impasse over its uranium enrichment at three undeclared sites, but the meeting ended with little change.
Some experts say Iran will not increase enrichment to the needed 90 percent for several years - an estimate echoed by an Israeli military intelligence general this month.
The Israeli military intelligence forecast for 2023 is that Iran "will continue on its current path of slow progress" in the nuclear realm, according to Israel Hayom newspaper on Sunday.
"Iran will only change its policies if extreme sanctions are imposed on it; then it could decide to accelerate enrichment to military grade," said the report, which a military spokesperson confirmed to Reuters as genuine intelligence assessments.
Israel has long issued veiled threats to attack its arch-enemy's nuclear facilities if it deems Western diplomacy with Tehran has reached a dead end.
It has admitted to attacking Iran-linked Hezbollah targets in neighbouring Syria.
However, some experts doubt Israel has the military clout to deliver lasting damage to Iranian targets.
Israel neither confirms nor denies having nuclear weaponry. Scholars believe it does, having acquired the first bomb in late 1966.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
