Israel has warned Iran of catastrophic consequences if it attacks the Jewish state with weapons of mass destruction.

Israel's national security advisor says Iran will be destroyed if it dares to launch a nuclear attack on the Jewish state. In an interview published Friday in the Hebrew daily Ha'aretz, Uzi Arad said Israel must have "tremendously powerful" weapons to deter or retaliate for a nuclear strike. That seemed to be a clear reference to Israel's reported nuclear arsenal, though it has never admitted to having nuclear weapons. Arad described a nuclear Iran as a "nightmare for Israel."

Benjamin Netanyahu, 25 Mar 2009

In a speech last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that a nuclear Iran is not only a threat to Israel, but also to Western civilization.

"The greatest danger facing our world today is if the world's worst regimes acquire the world's most dangerous weapons," he said. "For the sake of peace, for the sake of our common security, for the sake of our common values this must not be allowed to happen."

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. But Israel is convinced that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and could use them to carry out its threat to wipe the Jewish state "off the map." Israel has warned that if international diplomacy fails, it might launch a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.