Israel Has a Year to Thwart Iranian Nuke: Official

Israel has 12 months to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons or risk Tehran’s wrath, a former Israeli defense official said. “The time that is left to be ready is getting shorter all the time,” Shabtai Shavit told the Telegraph. “We should do whatever (is) necessary in case sanctions don’t work. What’s left is military action.”

Iran returned the rhetorical fire: Israel “is completely within the range of the Islamic republic’s missiles,” a top military commander warned. Jerusalem has urged President Bush to launch airstrikes against Iran, which Shavit predicts won’t happen if Barack Obama is elected. “He won’t go for it,” said Shavit, emphasizing the Jewish state’s willingness to act without American cooperation. (More Israel stories.)