Israel issues Iran nuke warning

ISRAEL hardened its insistence that it would do anything it felt necessary to stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb – just the ultimatum the United States hoped not to hear as it tried to nudge Iran to the bargaining table.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates reassured Israel that the new Obama administration was not naive about Iran’s intentions, and that Washington would press for tougher sanctions against Iran if they balk.

Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak used a brief news conference with Gates to insist three times that Israel would not rule out any response – an implied warning that it would consider a pre-emptive strike.