Britain warns Israel over military action against Iran

20.02.2012

British foreign secretary William Hague said on Sunday that Israel would not be "wise" to attack Iran over its disputed nuclear program, saying it should give the diplomatic route a chance to succeed. Speaking in the wake of attacks on Israeli diplomats blamed on agents of 

Tehran, Hague said the Islamic republic "has increased in its willingness to contemplate utterly illegal activities in other parts of the world". But he told BBC television: "I don't think the wise thing at this moment is for Israel to launch a military attack on Iran.

"I think Israel, like everybody else in the world, should be giving a real chance to the approach that we have adopted, of very serious economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure, and the readiness to negotiate with Iran.

"And that's what we now have to make a success of."

In recent weeks, there has been feverish speculation that Israel was getting closer to mounting a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, but  Israel has denied reaching such a decision.