International pressure could change Iran

JERUSALEM, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Actions by the international community could lead to internal change in Iran, Israel's chief of staff said.

Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi made the comment at the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense committee meeting Tuesday where he also discussed Hezbollah's rocket arsenal and the army's reaction to the U.N. Goldstone report that accuses Israel of war crimes, Maariv said.

Ashkenazi described Iran as a radical state, but also rational, the newspaper said.

Iran recently rejected a demand from the West that it transfer its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France for enrichment in a deal suggested by Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Turning to Israel's northern border, Ashkenazi said Hezbollah is in possession of tens of thousands of rockets with a 186.4- to 201.9-mile range, Haaretz said.

The army is working to prevent weapons smuggling in the region, he said, citing the interception of the Francop cargo boat by naval commandos last week and the discovery of tons of weapons on board hidden inside containers slated for Hezbollah.

Ashkenazi rejected an independent inquiry into the U.N. Goldstone report, which accuses Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza, adding Israel should provide a professional response to the claims and not be apologetic, the paper said.