Egypt warns Israel of war on Iran

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:36:29 GMT

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit says an Israeli attack on Iran may cause heavy losses for Tel Aviv and the region as a whole.

In an interview with the Egyptian Nile TV channel, Abul Gheit expressed his doubt over the effectiveness of military strikes against Iran for solving the standoff over the country's nuclear program.

Gheit's comment came after Israeli officials mulled a possible military strike against the Islamic Republic to halt its atomic drive. The Egyptian minister added, "Iran has the right to have a peaceful nuclear program."

"The West should try to find a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic settlement," said Abul Gheit.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also has not ruled out a military strike against Iran's nuclear program if it is deemed necessary, but he has said that diplomatic solutions should be executed to keep Tehran from "becoming a nuclear power".

In a move to show the readiness of its armed forces for possible threats, Iran recently test-fired a number of short, medium and long range missiles during a military war-game in the Persian Gulf.

DB/RA