Israel told to prepare for war with Iran

A Pentagon official says the US president has given the 'amber light' to an Israeli plan to attack Iran with long-range bombing sorties.

The senior Pentagon official told The Sunday Times that despite widespread opposition in the US administration President George W. Bush had informed Israel he may be prepared to approve a military strike on Iran's nuclear sites.

"Amber means get on with your preparations, stand by for immediate attack and tell us when you're ready," said the official.However, the Pentagon official said 'amber will never turn to green' if Israel does not present Bush with a 'solid' military proposal. Referring to the upcoming US presidential elections he suggested that Israel should not wait to act against Iran.

The official also confirmed that the Bush administration would not attack Iran but added that President Bush is concerned about the nuclear threat against Israel and that he does not believe in 'anything but force to deter Iran'.

"It's really all down to the Israelis. This administration will not attack Iran. This has already been decided," he stated.

The source said the men in uniform are opposed to a military strike against Iran and are concerned about endangering US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tehran warned earlier that Iranian Armed Forces would target the heart of Israel and 32 US bases before the dust settles from an attack on the country.

The remarks by the Pentagon official comes amid escalating speculation that Israel is preparing to launch a military strike on Iran with the help of US President George W. Bush before the end of his term in office.

According to a New York Times report, Israel staged a military maneuver in early June to prepare for an airborne strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Earlier in the week, in response to rising threats from Israel and the US, the IRGC test-fired nine state-of-the-art long and medium-range missiles to demonstrate the country's defensive military capabilities.