by Elena Mastors

Created on: June 06, 2008

Right now, Iran is a national security threat to the United States and Israel. The United States and Israel don't want a nuclear Iran. The United States and Israel recognize that an armed Iran can gain significant leverage in the Middle East. The Iranians want to be a respected regional power and one way to achieve this is to get nuclear weapons. The only other country in the Middle East that possesses them is Israel, the Iranians well-defined enemy. The Iranians are already arming a plethora of groups in their struggle for regional prowess. They are destabilizing not only Iraq, but also Palestine and Lebanon. They seek to populate the Middle East with similar parochial regimes. They want the Shia in countries throughout the Middle East to ban together under their direct control. It is not far fetched to think that when the Iranians go nuclear, more instability in the Middle East will follow. Hezbollah will have the great light to take over Lebanon and Hamas will seek to eradicate Israel. The Iranians can use nukes as a never ending threat. They will do what they please while cunningly asserting that they only have peace in mind. And least we forget the largest prize for them is the destruction of Israel.

The United States cannot afford to lose our Israeli ally because even though their interests and tactics may not always be the same, both countries see the benefit of peace and stability in the Middle East. Let the Iranians have the bomb and soon Israel will cease to exist. Let the Iranians the bomb and others will follow suit. The Saudis have already indicated that if Iran gets nuclear weapons, then they want them to protect them against the expansionistic desires of the Iranians. The Saudi regime remember, has a Shia element in its population that the Iranians would like nothing more than to include in their pan-Shia expansionistic designs.

Iran plays negotiating games with the United States. The Iranians claim that their program is for peaceful purposes. We all know this isn't true. It is insulting to both the United States and Israel and other countries throughout the world. Many policymakers in United States and Israel already recognize this fact.

The Israelis will have to act against Iran. They will have to thwart any attempts by the Iranians to fully develop a nuclear program. In this endeavor, the Israelis will obviously seek support from the United States. Given the relationship between the two countries, it is more than likely that these discussions have taken place. Certain scenarios for action were likely entertained if and when the Iranians are close to completing their program. However, depending upon the political tide in the United States, U.S. participation in destroying Iran's nuclear program is not guaranteed

Learn more about this author, Elena Mastors.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.