Israeli PM pushes cabinet for Iran attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister Ehud Barak are trying to convince their cabinet to support an attack on Iran, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported yesterday.
Citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, the newspaper said Netanyahu was working to win a majority in favour of a strike against Iran, but there is currently "a small advantage" in the cabinet for those opposed to an attack.
The report said Netanyahu had scored a significant win by convincing his foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman to throw his support behind a strike, intended to destroy nascent Iranian nuclear capabilities.
But other ministers reportedly remain firmly opposed, with many preferring that any action against Iran be carried out by the United States instead.
The Haaretz report came after days of renewed speculation about Israel's plans for an attack on Iran.
On Monday, Barak denied media reports that he and Netanyahu had already decided to launch an attack against Iran over the opposition of military and intelligence chiefs.
Meanwhile, Israel yesterday successfully tested a rocket-propulsion system from a military base in the centre of the country, a defence ministry official said.
Iran, in response, said the country is on alert and will "punish" any Israeli strike against it.