Barak on Iran: All options open

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Friday that Jerusalem is convinced Iran is still pursuing nuclear weapons, while simultaneously deceiving the world via negotiations.

Speaking after a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Barak said he believed that the leaders of the free world are aware of these developments, which must be taken into account in any future decision.

"As for Israel, we have said before that all options are open," he said.

Barak extended Israel's gratitude to both Rice and the Bush Administration for their efforts to advance a solution for the Arab-Israeli conflict and for the creativity they have shown in the mediation.

The defense minister went on to commend Rice for being "instrumental in the Jenin project and the developments we are now witnessing in the Hebron area, where Palestinian security forces have begun cracking down on Hamas."

Photo courtesy of the Defense Ministry

Rice arrived in Israel on Thursday and met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, ahead of the Quartet's meeting in Sharm el-Sheik.

Following her meeting with Barak, Rice met Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Later Friday, she will leave for the West Bank city of Ramallah, where she is scheduled to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Head of the Palestinian negotiations team, Ahmed Qureia.

Rice will leave for Sharm el-Sheik on Sunday, where Israeli and Palestinian teams will brief her on the progress made in peace talks following the Annapolis Summit.