Bolton: Israel has until the weekend to bomb Iran’s nuclear plant

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Israel has until the weekend to launch a military strike on Iran’s first nuclear plant before the humanitarian risk of an attack becomes too great, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said Tuesday.

A Russian company is expected to help Iran start loading nuclear fuel into its plant on Saturday, after which an attack on the Bushehr reactor could trigger harmful radiation, which Israel wants to avoid, Bolton said. So unless the Israelis act immediately to shut down the facility, it will be too late.

“Once it’s close to the reactor … the risk is when the reactor is attacked, there will be a release of radiation into the air,” Bolton told FoxNews.com. “It’s most unlikely that they would act militarily after fuel rods are loaded.”

Earlier Tuesday, Bolton told Fox Business Network the Israelis will have to move in the “next eight days” if they want to attack the Bushehr facility — a reference to the window between when the start-up was announced last week and the loading date. Bolton said Tuesday that the date has fluctuated, but he described the start-up as the ultimate deadline.

Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, told Fox News that the nation is hopeful sanctions — passed by the United Nations, European Union and United States — will “modify” Iran’s behavior. Oren said Israel is “committed” to the sanctions program and will assess its impact at a later date.

“Until that time, the position of the government of Israel — as the position of the Obama administration — is that all options will remain on the table,” he said, without commenting directly on Bolton’s remarks.

Though Iranian officials insist the reactor is for peaceful purposes, Bolton warned about the danger of the up-and-running reactor.

“What this does is give Iran a second route to nuclear weapons in addition to enriched uranium,” Bolton said. “It’s a very, very huge victory for Iran.”

Bolton, who was U.S. ambassador during the Bush administration, expressed doubt that Israel was planning a military strike but suggested it’s an open question.

“If they were going to do anything, they certainly wouldn’t be talking about it,” he said.

He noted that the reactor gives Iran something that both Iraq and Syria were never able to achieve because their facilities were destroyed.

“Iran will have achieved something that no other opponent of Israel, no other enemy of the United States really in the Middle East has, and that is a functioning nuclear reactor,” he said on Fox Business Network.

Iranian officials on Tuesday warned Israel not to take military action. Iranian media quoted Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s defense minister, as saying Israel would be taking a huge risk with such an attack.

“We may lose a power plant, but the whole existence of the Zionist regime will be jeopardized,” Vahidi was quoted as saying.

The reactor project has been in existence for decades, but the Russians have helped push it to the finish line. Russian state firm Rosatom announced last week that the Bushehr facility would be starting up on Aug. 21. According to the Iranian state Mehr news agency, the head of that company, Sergey Novikov, says the plant “just generates electricity.”

Fox news

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34 responses to “Bolton: Israel has until the weekend to bomb Iran’s nuclear plant”

  1. George Haddad N.J. Avatar
    George Haddad N.J.

    Oh God here comes Wahab Brother-in-law.. Another gloom and doom messenger.

    1. I guess if Isreal attacks Iran now it will mark the begining of World War 3, it will be stupid if USA thinks that Isreal would attack Iran that IRAN wouldn’t retaleiate by attacking ISREAL, USA Military bases in the region, probably starting in the ones in the Gulf,probably syria would be involved dragging lebanon with it through Hezballah, the EU will be split in half, one half will turn against the states and Isreal for their attack and the other half will support the latter two….and here we go again another World War that will end up killing God knows how many and for what…..

    2. I guess if Isreal attacks Iran now it will mark the begining of World War 3, it will be stupid if USA thinks that Isreal would attack Iran that IRAN wouldn’t retaleiate by attacking ISREAL, USA Military bases in the region, probably starting in the ones in the Gulf,probably syria would be involved dragging lebanon with it through Hezballah, the EU will be split in half, one half will turn against the states and Isreal for their attack and the other half will support the latter two….and here we go again another World War that will end up killing God knows how many and for what…..

  2. well why doesnt iran and russia issue a statement that the plant is already fuelled and send fake pics to deter them?

    why the complication?

    1. Prophet Avatar

      Tony

      That was Bolton’s concession speech.

    2. Prophet Avatar

      Tony

      That was Bolton’s concession speech.

  3. Youssef Avatar

    Could this be the “green light” for war?

    I guess only time will tell.

  4. Walid Khouri Avatar
    Walid Khouri

    What the Hell Bolton? Did you lose your mind?

  5. O_o very sudden…and very straight-up…this is creepy.

  6. this guy must be on the same drugs as beik

    nobody is going to bomb crap, as much as i despise iran, nobody wants war with it and besides, this should have been done 20 years ago, not at their peak strength, this moron should stop the fear mongering and panic.

    bolton there are ways to relieve your fears and panic, please take 100 tylenols, shrablak aninat detol, lock your bathroom door and goto sleep next to the toilet, I promise you will feel so much better and more relaxed.

    1. maria i will be in lebanon in 3 weeks. i will definitely make an appointment with the beik to let him know he has an admirer.

      whats with your boner with the beik?

      i smile everytime i see tht and libon. ya3ni you really soud like dammik it2eel ikteer mish ishway habeebti lol 🙂

      much love

    2. maria i will be in lebanon in 3 weeks. i will definitely make an appointment with the beik to let him know he has an admirer.

      whats with your boner with the beik?

      i smile everytime i see tht and libon. ya3ni you really soud like dammik it2eel ikteer mish ishway habeebti lol 🙂

      much love

  7. The last refuge of incompetence is violence.

  8. Prophet Avatar

    Why Would He make his call in public if He really was talking to the Israelis? I think He realized that it is too late to destroy Iran’s Nuclear facilities, and He’s just saying it for the record that He Warned everyone . I’m pretty sure He had many other ways to communicate and remind the Israelis (like they didn’t know) of the short window He thinks they had. Was He warning Iran as well?

  9. Prophet Avatar

    Why Would He make his call in public if He really was talking to the Israelis? I think He realized that it is too late to destroy Iran’s Nuclear facilities, and He’s just saying it for the record that He Warned everyone . I’m pretty sure He had many other ways to communicate and remind the Israelis (like they didn’t know) of the short window He thinks they had. Was He warning Iran as well?

    1. prophet it was payday bro……

    2. prophet it was payday bro……

  10. No one will attack Iran. It is a double bluff scenario by the USA. They want Iran to get the bomb as a means of control in the region.

  11. No one will attack Iran. It is a double bluff scenario by the USA. They want Iran to get the bomb as a means of control in the region.

  12. Bolton is Twisted minded. He’s The American version of Bin laden

    1. i think he makes bin laden look like a saint.

    2. i think he makes bin laden look like a saint.

  13. Bolton is Twisted minded. He’s The American version of Bin laden

  14. I bet he’s one of the people that distorted facts about Iraq WMD in order to speed up the invasions of Iraq. I think we should glue his moustache over his mouth so he can shut the hell up and stop playing the war drums. this guy is fanatic and extremists in all his views. Next think he’s going to say hezbollah is developing nuclear weapons..Bolton do us all a favor and retire from politics and public life.

  15. I bet he’s one of the people that distorted facts about Iraq WMD in order to speed up the invasions of Iraq. I think we should glue his moustache over his mouth so he can shut the hell up and stop playing the war drums. this guy is fanatic and extremists in all his views. Next think he’s going to say hezbollah is developing nuclear weapons..Bolton do us all a favor and retire from politics and public life.

  16. Many idiots will believe him too.

  17. Many idiots will believe him too.

  18. Leb-Syrian Avatar
    Leb-Syrian

    Who let him out of the Trailer Park? He screams white trash.

  19. Leb-Syrian Avatar
    Leb-Syrian

    Who let him out of the Trailer Park? He screams white trash.

  20. Hopefully ,.all options will remain on the table¨!!

  21. Hopefully ,.all options will remain on the table¨!!

  22. no one is gonna bomb iran america made iran to stop the soviet union for few hours and now america rebuiling iran just to scare the silly arab in the golf its gonna be the monster

  23. no one is gonna bomb iran america made iran to stop the soviet union for few hours and now america rebuiling iran just to scare the silly arab in the golf its gonna be the monster

  24. djmanuelc Avatar
    djmanuelc

    Hmm, I think that the US Armed Forces leaving Iraq right around the same time all this is going on is a bad sign for those remaing in that region.

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