JERUSALEM, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Israel can delay Iran's nuclear program significantly with a military strike -- with or without U.S. approval -- an Israeli security official said.
The official warned the time frame for such a strike on Iran's nuclear sites is narrowing because of increased efforts by the Islamic Republic to hide and disguise its nuclear activities and strengthen its deterrence capability, Maariv said Thursday.
At the same time, the United States should be allowed to exhaust dialogue efforts with the Islamic Republic before military action is taken, the paper said.
The paper quoted a report on the Washington publication The Politico's Web site Wednesday, which said U.S. President Barack Obama's plans for a nuclear security summit in March could inadvertently turn the spotlight on Israel and further strain its relations with the U.S. administration.
At the Group of Eight summit in July, Obama said he intends to invite the leaders of 25 to 30 countries to attend next year's summit. The Web site said it is not clear if Israel will be invited.
