Israel test fires missile that can hit Iran

Israel successfully test-fired on Wednesday a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and striking Iran, fanning a public debate over whether the country's leaders are agitating for a military attack on Tehran's atomic facilities, The Associated Press reported.

An Israeli defense official told The Associated Press that the military tested a "rocket propulsion system" in an exercise planned long ago. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of security restrictions, and declined to give further information.

Further information about the test was censored by the military. Foreign reports, however, said the military test-fired a long-range Jericho missile - capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and striking Iran.

While Israeli leaders have long warned that a military strike was an option, the most intensive round of public discourse on the subject was ignited over the weekend by a report in the Yediot Ahronot newspaper that said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak favor an attack.

That was followed by a report in the Haaretz daily Wednesday that Netanyahu is now lobbying Cabinet members for an attack, despite the complexity of the operation and the high likelihood it would draw a deadly retaliation from Iran. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a sensitive policy discussion, said Netanyahu does not yet have a majority.


/Trend/