Ex-Mossad Chief: Attack on Tehran Will Drag Hizbullah, Syria into War
Former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan warned Israel against any military attack on Iran, stressing that any regional conflict with Tehran might drag Hizbullah and Syria into war.
During a conference at the Tel Aviv University Dagan said that a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities should only be considered as the last resort and after all other means and methods have been exhausted.
"A military attack will give the Iranians the best excuse to pursue the nuclear race,” he said.
The former secret service chief warned that if a regional war breaks out after Israel attacks Iran, Hizbullah will join forces with the Islamic Republic, and Syria might also be dragged into the confrontation.
"I recommend that the prime minister not decide to attack,” Dagan added.
He also addressed reports of trade ties between the Ofer Brothers and Iran. "There is no law prohibiting a ship from docking in Iran," he said.
Ofer Brothers Group is a shipping company that was blacklisted by the U.S. State Department last week for trade with Tehran. Israeli newspapers quickly uncovered records showing Ofer Brothers vessels had docked at Iranian ports at least 13 times over the past decade.
Dagan suggested that Israel accept a nine-year-old peace initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia, offering peace with the Arab world in return for a full withdrawal from all territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
Speaking of the recent reconciliation pact between Hamas and Fatah, the former Mossad chief said: “There is a very problematic situation between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which presents Israel with complex dilemmas.”
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