Israel 'does not plan to bomb Iran'

MOSCOW: Israel is not planning to bomb Iran, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday, addressing speculation it might launch a military operation to destroy the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

Israel, widely believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear power, has repeatedly described Iran's uranium enrichment as a threat to its existence and has said all options were on the table in preventing Teheran from building atomic weapons.

"I have been asked by Saudi journalists about when Israel plans to bomb Iran. We are not planning to bomb Iran," Lieberman, who grew up in the Soviet Union, told reporters in Russian when asked about a possible strike against Iran.