Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    JERUSALEM, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Air Force (IAF) is ready to execute any order to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weaponry, said its commander Ido Nehushtan in an interview published Tuesday.

    Stressing that whether to conduct a military strike is a political decision rather than an issue of Israel's military capabilities, the major general told German magazine Der Spiegel that the IAF "is a very robust and flexible force" and "ready to do whatever is demanded."

    When asked whether Israel is able to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, which are scattered across the country and partly located underground, Nehushtan answered that "I can only say this:It is not a technical or logistical question."

    Advanced technologies are only part of what generates the IAF's cutting-edge capabilities, said the commander, adding that the biggest advantage is its soldiers and officers.

    "Israel is a small country. We neither have a big population nor natural resources. Our biggest asset is our human resources. And it is the Air Force that makes best use of it," he was quoted as saying.

    Israel, the United States and their Western allies have long been accusing Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons, but Iran insists that its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

    Israeli officials have repeatedly called on the international community to step up pressure on the Persian nation, stressing that all options are on the table to depress Iran's nuclear ambitions.

    Earlier this year, speculations once dominated local media that Israel might carry out a military strike against Iran's nuclear sites.