CAIRO: A report by the Israeli website DEBKA said that intelligent chiefs from the United States, Egypt, Jordan and Israel held unprecedented secret discussions on Iran’s nuclear program in the Jordanian capital, Amman, in early November. The news has sparked a new wave of speculation that the region is gearing up for a prolonged battle with Tehran, which could result in a military strike by Israel.

According to DEBKA – a site with strong connections with Israel’s Mossad – Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, Israel’s Mossad head Meir Dagan and military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin met with senior officials of the American Central Intelligence Agency under the auspices of Jordan’s General Intelligence Service head Mohamed Raqed.

It is unclear what exactly was discussed, but the report of the meeting comes one week after Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told Sky News on November 7 that his country’s constant threats against Iran were not, and are not, a bluff.

Although both Washington and Tel Aviv continue to argue that Iran is pursuing a weapons program, the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported the opposite. Even reports within the U.S. have pointed to Iran not looking to acquire nuclear weapons.

A top ranking Iranian foreign ministry aide told Bikya Masr via telephone on Saturday that the report of the secret meeting has been known in Tehran for some time and “is not of much concern” to the government.

“We look at it as postering and an attempt to bully Iran into changing our goal of attaining a proper and adequate nuclear program to provide energy to our people. Israel is acting absurdly and we will not fall victim to their attacks,” the official said, adding that he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Iran, despite Israel and America’s claims to the contrary, has called for the removal of all nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction from the globe.

Tehran argues that Israel maintains a stockpile of nuclear weapons and “has no place to be lecturing” on nuclear technology.

“If you look at the evidence, Israel has refused to sign the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and is the only country in the region that has nuclear weapons in its arsenal. This should worry other Arab countries and they should stop fearing us [Iran] for trying to develop a nuclear program. Isn’t Egypt also getting help from the Americans on this end?” the official added.

For its part, Egypt has reported it needs 8 nuclear power plants in order to combat the growing water crisis in Egypt.

Mohammed Taha al-Qulaili, head of Egypt’s Atomic Energy Authority, said that 20 percent of the energy produced in the country should come via nuclear. He stressed that this is not a matter of “welfare,” but is the inevitable alternative, saying that “energy sources in Egypt are depleted and we are in a desperate need of an alternative nuclear program in light of the impossibility of establishing hydro plants to generate electricity on the river and solar energy is expensive.”

The Iranian official said this is proof that Egypt has no position to threaten Iran or to join Israel and the United States in attempting to demand Tehran change its ways.

“We have been open about our goals from the beginning and why some leaders continue to view us as liars is unfair and ridiculous,” the official said.

BM

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