Both America and the European Union appear to be waking up regarding the Iranian nuclear threat, albeit a bit late or too late according to some, most likely due to increasing fears of an Israeli military strike against Iran rather than the fact Tehran is forging ahead towards achieving nuclear independence.

The USA on Monday (January 23, 2012) made a move to tighten the stranglehold on Iran, clamping sanctions on Iran’s third largest bank, Bank Tejarat and its affiliate, Trade Capital Bank. That means these banks are now blocked, unable to access the American marketplace. This will have an immediate and direct impact on the 2,000 branches of the bank in Iran, and Washington is hopeful the financial sanctions will compel Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to abandon his nuclear aspirations.

The EU has banned all oil imports from Iran and cut off assets, hoping to bring Tehran to its knees. British Foreign Secretary William Hague released a statement to the media on Monday from Brussels, stating “Today’s action demonstrates the EU’s growing concern about Iran’s nuclear program, and our determination to increase peaceful, legitimate pressure on Iran to return to negotiations.”

Danny Yatom, a former MK and retired IDF major-general explained to Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) on Tuesday morning that these combined sanctions are a sign of hope, and there is indeed a chance that Iran may be compelled to respond due to the enormous financial pressure that is being exerted on Tehran. Yatom was quick to warn however that the sanctions come dangerously close to Iran becoming a nuclear power, and Israel simply may not permit this from taking place. He explained that if Iran has an atom bomb, “Israel will be held hostage and be unable to continue a day-to-day existence”.

The former senior military officer explained that the Axis of Evil, which includes Hizbullah, Syria and Hamas are in essence one and the same, all satellites of Iran, and as such, if Israel felt compelled to operate militarily in Gaza or southern Lebanon, the threat of an Iranian nuclear attack would always have to be considered. He went on to explain that a nuclear Iran would simply destabilize the entire region, placing an emphasis on the fact that the threat is far far greater than an Israeli issue, but one that simply threatens the Arab nations and international community alike.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)