F-16 fighters. Photo: WikiCommons.

An influential Israeli official said at the weekend the Jewish state is confident a military option can be effective if diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program fail.

Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser and close confidant of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told the Financial Times that Israel could halt Iran’s nuclear weaponscapability “for a very long time,” and added its air force had been conducting “very long-range flights”‰.”‰.”‰.”‰all around the world” as part of preparations for a possible military confrontation with Iran.

“We are not the United States of America, of course, and believe it or not they have more capabilities than us,” Amidror said. “But we have enough to stop the Iranians for a very long time.”

Israel has expressed concern about a possible deal between world powers and Iran. Netanyahu told CNN Sunday that Iran is “getting just an enormous deal, from their point of view, and it’s giving practically nothing in return. They’re keeping their infrastructure to make nuclear bombs.”

Netanyahu also said Sunday that Western powers can reach “a much better agreement” with Iran over its nuclear program.”I hope that we will succeed in convincing our friends this week and in the days afterwards to achieve a much better agreement, and it will be possible to do so,” Netanyahu said at the start of his weekly Cabinet meeting.

“Iran is under economic pressure and continuing – and even increasing – this pressure will be able to achieve the much better result of a peaceful, diplomatic solution. I believe that many in the region and beyond it share this view.”