Special to WorldTribune.com

JERUSALEM — Iran envisions the imminent destruction of Israel,
perhaps in a nuclear strike by Teheran, a report said.

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs asserted that the Iranian
leadership has formed a consensus of the need to destroy the Jewish state.

The center, in a report by Michael Segall and Joshua Teitelbaum, said Iran, particularly supreme leader Ali Khamenei, was becoming increasingly belligerent in their threats to eliminate Israel.

“What is striking is that these declarations calling for Israel’s
destruction are being voiced by a broad spectrum of the Iranian leadership, including different senior officers in the Revolutionary Guard,” the report, titled “What Iranian Leaders Really Say about Doing Away with Israel,” said.

“Moreover, these spokesmen are not talking about a long historical process regarding Israel’s elimination, but rather a development that is to take place in the near term.”

The report, a revised version of a 2008 study, cited statements by
Khamenei and key government and military aides over the last few years. The authors argued that Iran appeared to be waiting until it reached nuclear weapons capability before attacking Israel.

“Finally, these calls for the destruction of Israel for the most part
are not made in the context of an Iranian retaliatory strike, and are not
contingent upon what actions Israel will take,” the report said.

The report cited an article posted on the website of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps on April 24, 2011. IRGC, responsible for Iran’s
missile and nuclear programs, envisioned a supremely confident Teheran the
day after a nuclear weapons test, and then quoted a Koranic passage on the
need to frighten enemies of Islam.

“Despite all the financial and other sanctions on Iran enacted by the
international community, Iran has developed a core group of scientific
nationalists who continue to develop nuclear potential and cross technical
thresholds,” the report said. “Although estimates vary, it seems clear that
in the not-too-distant future Iran will be capable of detonating a nuclear
device.”

  Ali Khamenei, Iran nuclear weapons program, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Report: ‘Broad spectrum’ of Iran leaders talk of destroying Israel in ‘near term’