Cheney and Barak
Photo: Asaf Ravitz
Barak: All options should be weighed on Iran
Defense minister meets with US Vice President Cheney, stresses Iran poses threat to stability of region, world
While Israel still
believes that sanctions are the best way to deal with Iran's nuclear program at this point, other options for addressing the problem must not be ruled out as well, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told US Vice President Dick Cheney Sunday evening.
Barak, who hosted Cheney at his home in Tel Aviv, stressed to the American VP that Iran's program posed a threat to the stability of the region and the entire world.
During their meeting the two discussed security and political issues. A group of Israeli and US officials also participated in the meeting, including Chief of Staff Lit.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, head of the IDF's Intelligence Branch Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, senior advisors to Cheney and US Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones.
Earlier Sunday Cheney met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, and told him that Israel and the Palestinians were required to make "painful concessions" in order to reach a peace agreement.
Cheney also met with President Shimon Peres and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
