Disappointment Over US Position

The declaration of a top United States official that Washington gave Israel the green light to strike Iran is “frightening” and “disappointing”, said Asaad Aboud, editor-in-chief of the official newspaper Al-Thawra, in a July 8 editorial.



The US vice-president, Joe Biden, said on July 7 that Washington would not stand in the way of an Israeli strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.



The following day, however, President Barack Obama issued a statement saying that the US had not approved of Israel striking Iran.



Aboud suggested that there might be disagreements within the US administration regarding Iran. He said, however, that Obama’s reaction to Biden’s statement was reassuring.



The author said that Israel would not wait for the approval of the Americans nor any other side to attack presumed nuclear facilities in Iran.



He said that Iran was different from Iraq, noting that Israel attacked Iraq in 1981.



Aboud said that the whole region was against military action against Iran, adding that he was disappointed with Biden, who, he said, had in the past been against a military solution in Iran.