Israel calls for ‘military coalition’ if Iran boosts enrichment

JERUSALEM: Israel´s intelligence minister called Tuesday for a military coalition against Iran if the Islamic Republic were to defy world powers by enriching military-grade uranium.

Yisrael Katz´s remarks came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began visiting European leaders to discuss Iran´s regional involvement and nuclear programme, both seen by the Jewish state as grave threats.

European powers have been scrambling to preserve a landmark deal over Tehran's nuclear programme since US President Donald Trump announced Washington´s withdrawal from the treaty in May. Katz addressed Tehran´s threat to restart uranium enrichment at an "industrial level" if the 2015 pact falls apart.

"If the Iranians don´t surrender now, and try to return" to unsupervised uranium enrichment, "there should be a clear statement by the President of the United States and all of the Western coalition," he said.

"The Arabs and Israel surely would be there too." The message should be that "if the Iranians return" to enriching uranium that could enable them to build a nuclear bomb, "a military coalition will be formed against them," Katz told Israeli public radio station Kan.

Iran´s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday warned European

leaders to drop their "dream" of Tehran continuing to curb its nuclear programme despite renewed economic sanctions.