Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — Congress has been urged to approve advanced munitions to Israel that could blow up Iranian nuclear weapons facilities.

A former senior diplomat advised Congress to consider the sale of U.S. bunker-busters to Israel’s military.

Dennis Ross, who served as adviser to several administrations, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the munitions could reassure Israel of a military option in case of a failed nuclear deal with Teheran.

“We might also compensate the Israelis if there is a deal by providing more bunker-buster bombs and more tankers to make them more capable of militarily acting on their own against the Iranians in the face of cheating,” Ross said. “This would reassure the Israelis that even if we felt constrained to act militarily in the face of Iranian violations of an agreement that made a breakout possible, Israel would not be left without options.”

Several administrations have denied Israeli requests for the bunker-busters as well as the B-52 platform required for delivery. Congressional sources said Washington has withheld nearly all military systems that could facilitate an Israeli strike on Teheran.

“Although the Obama administration has tried to reassure the Saudis,
Emiratis, and Israelis about our commitments and our understanding of
Iranian behavior, there are deep-seated doubts about what we are actually
prepared to do,” Ross said.

So far, Israel has acquired 2,000- and 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs,
said to be insufficient to destroy Iranian underground facilities. The
United States has developed the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound
bomb deemed too large for installation on the Israel Air Force fleet of F-15
and F-16s.

In testimony on June 12, Ross, who served under President Barack Obama,
called for Israeli-U.S. consultations on any nuclear deal with Iran. He said
the two countries must examine scenarios in case Teheran fails to honor any
such accord.

“With the Israelis, if there is a nuclear deal, we could discuss the
specific steps we would take if the Iranians cheat on a deal and how we
would impose consequences — even anticipating that there might be
reluctance on the part of others to hesitate in the face of violations of
the agreement,” Ross said.

  B-52, Dennis Ross, Massive Ordnance Penetrator, Ross: Consider sending bunker-busters to Israel if Iran nuclear deal falls through