Sunday, March 13 2005 18:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Israel has drawn up secret plans for a combined air and ground attack on Iran to foil its nuclear ambitions if diplomatic pressures fail to deter the Islamic Republic, a media report said in London today (March 13, 2005).

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's inner cabinet has given the "initial authorisation" for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in the Negev desert.

Israel defence forces "have used a mock-up of Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment plant in the desert to practice destroying it". Their tactics include air strikes by F-15 fighter planes and raids by teams from Israel's elite 'Shaldag' commando unit, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

The plans have been discussed with American officials who are said to have indicated provisionally that they would not stand in Israel's way if all international efforts to halt Iranian nuclear projects failed, it said.

The report came out even as both US and Iran signalled a softening of their stances over Iranian nuclear programme.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday (March 11, 2005) that America would support Britain, France and Germany in offering economic incentives for Tehran to abandon its programme. Israel responded cautiously to the announcement.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said he believed diplomacy was the only way to deal with the issue, but warned, "the idea that this tyranny of Iran will hold a nuclear bomb is a nightmare, not only for us but for the whole world."

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami yesterday said, "We are ready to cooperate with the world to give more certainty that Iran is not moving toward the creation of nuclear arms."