LONDON, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Iran's nuclear capabilities threaten the stability of the region and the world, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the BBC Sunday.
"We live in a tough neighborhood," it is not a place for the weak and no one gets a second chance, Barak said on the BBC"s "Andrew Marr Show," when asked to respond to ongoing media reports claiming Israel plans to attack Iran's nuclear sites..
"I don't try to underestimate the nature of the Iranian threat, it is a major threat to the stability of the whole region, probably the whole world," Barak said.
Israel believes that harsh sanctions could be effective in halting Tehran's nuclear ambitions but that requires a unified diplomatic front he said. At the same time he warned "no options should be removed from the table."
A nation cannot choose its neighbors and the Iranian challenge is serious, Barak said, adding Israel is the strongest country in a 1,000 mile radius and intends to remain that way.
In recent weeks Israeli media has reported daily of the Iranian nuclear threat and plans that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Barak are pushing to attack Iran's nuclear sites.
