Netanyahu To Set ‘Clear Red Line’ For Iran In UN Speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will try in his speech today at the United Nations to set a clear red line for Iran as the oil-rich nation continues its pursuit of nuclear technology.

Reuters points out that Israel and the US are not opposed as it pertains to Iran, with both Netanyahu and president Barrack Obama making clear that Iran should never possess a nuclear weapon. But Netanyahu and Obama have butted heads over the best way to make sure that doesn’t happen.

In his address to the UN Thursday, Netanyahu is expected to layout a plan for stopping the Iran regime from developing nuclear technology. The US, Israel and several nations are concerned Iran intendeds to use the technology to build a nuclear bomb. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims his nation only wants to develop nuclear power.

Should Iran develop the nuclear bomb, Israel would be at risk as Ahmadinejad — who sometimes claims Iran would never launch a first strike — has said in the past that the Israeli state will be eliminated.

While differences between Obama and Netanyahu exist, theJerusalem Post reports that the sides are continuing to dialogue on the issue, with the gaps between their positions narrowing.

“Netanyahu is convinced that the US and Israel can work together to reach the joint objective,” a source in Netanyahu’s entourage said.

Netanyahu has consistently pushed for Obama to set a red line, or litmus test of sorts, for when military action to stop Iran would be acceptable, but Obama hasn’t budged from suggesting further attempts at diplomacy.

Ahmadinejad said in interviews this week that Iran is not worried about an Israeli strike, but said it is prepared to defend itself if Netanyahu and Israel strikes first.