Biden says US won't dictate to Israel if it decides to strike Iranian nuke sites

Jerusalem, July 6 (ANI): US Vice President Joe Biden has said the US will not dictate to Israel-a sovereign nation-in case, it decides to strike Iran's nuclear sites.

Biden was asked on ABC's This Week whether the US would stand in the way militarily if the Israelis decided they needed to take out Iran's nuclear program.

•   E-mail Article
•   Printer Friendly
•   Text-Size    

"The US cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do. Israel can determine for itself - it's a sovereign nation - what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," the Jerusalem Post quoted Biden, as saying.

"Whether we agree or not, they're entitled to do that. Any sovereign nation is entitled to do that. But there is no pressure from any nation that's going to alter our behavior as to how to proceed. If the Netanyahu government decides to take a course of action different than the one being pursued now, that is their sovereign right to do that. That is not our choice," he added.

On Sunday, reports emerged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been assured by the chief of the country's intelligence agency Mossad, Meir Dagan, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran's nuclear sites.

The Netanyahu's Office issued an official denial on Sunday morning, saying the report was "completely false and baseless."

Israel has a number of defense pacts with countries under which the air force is allowed to fly in foreign airspace.

IAF planes will take part this year in a joint aerial exercise with a NATO-member state that cannot be identified.

In 2006, then-defense minister Shaul Mofaz signed a five-year cooperation agreement allowing IDF forces to deploy in Romania for joint training exercises.

In 1996, Israel and Turkey signed a bilateral defense alliance allowing their air forces to fly in each other's airspace. (ANI)