Iran will not back down “even one step” over its nuclear program, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s top advisor said on Thursday. A day earlier, the G8 gave Tehran until September to accept talks over its nuclear ambitions.
Once considered a dangerous prospect, a nuclear Iran is now increasingly seen as a foregone conclusion. Former Israeli defense minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer says an Iranian nuclear bomb is a fait accompli. John Bolton, former US ambassador to the U.N., says the world should “be prepared for an Iran with nuclear weapons.”
Rather than taking stronger steps to prevent a nuclear Iran, world leaders are now staking out positions on how to respond to the eventuality. French president Nicolas Sarkozy warns against a military strike. Conversely, U.S. vice-president Joe Biden says that Israel will have a “sovereign right” to attack Iran. As Iran draws closer to its goal, the global debate will undoubtedly sharpen.
