Israel Will Not Rule Out Action Against Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, on his first official visit to Washington, warned Thursday that Israel would not rule out any course of action regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions. "We are all united in the view that Iran needs to be prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he declared adding that all options remain on the table. Ashkenazi's visit comes less than a month after The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael G. Mullen, conducted a two day visit in Israel to discuss regional threats. While Ashkenazi is visiting, Operation Brimstone, a massive naval exercise off the US coast is currently underway with 15,000 naval personnel from the US, France, Brazil, the United Kingdom flexing their war fighting capabilities . The large exercise comes barely a month after the Israeli air force conducted a largescale exercise in the mediterranean a reported rehearsal for a military strike on Iran. Iran meanwhile is likely to begin receiving the advanced Russian made S-300 anti-aircraft systems by the end of the year, to fend off strikes against its nuclear facilities. Iran has  warned that it would target Israel and 32 US bases in the region should the country come under attack and has declared it will ignore all  pressures to halt its uranium enrichment program. 07/24/08