Israeli minister threatens Iran

JERUSALEM, June 7 (UPI) -- Israel "will attack" Iran if the Middle Eastern country maintains its current nuclear weapons program, Israeli Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz says.

The former defense minister said since the United Nations' efforts to limit Iran's nuclear program have proven ineffective, Israeli would consider military action to contain such nuclear proliferation, The Guardian reported Saturday.

"If Iran continues with its program for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack it," Mofaz said. "The U.N. sanctions are ineffective."

The threatening comments from Mofaz, who has been labeled a possible successor to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, came after a series of talks between Israel and the United States regarding Iran, the British newspaper reported.

Experts have said that without assistance from the United States, Israel would likely be unable to destroy Iran's numerous nuclear sites should military action take place, the Guardian said.

The newspaper said Iran has rejected calls from the international community to abandon enrichment of nuclear materials, but has denied using such efforts to produce nuclear weapons.