As speculation that Iran is inching closer to acquiring nuclear weapons increases, talks of Israeli airstrikes continue to ratchet up. Speaking on NPR’s Morning Edition, Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour asserted that Israel worries that Iran is moving close to reaching the threshold of a “zone of immunity” where airstrikes would be ineffective at setting the nuclear weapons program back. While the Obama administration worries about Iran actually having a nuclear weapon, Sadjadpour said that “in Israel, the redline is even more stringent. They don’t even want the Iranians to have the capability.” Much of the chatter regarding war may just be an effort to strengthen diplomacy, Sadjadpour added. While the Chinese view the sanctions against Iran as inimical to their energy interests, a war against Iran would affect their energy interests much more dramatically.
This interview was originally aired on NPR's Morning Edition.
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