Attack on Iran could provoke violent backlash across Middle East, say MPs
Military action against Iran is unlikely to succeed and could provoke a backlash across the Middle East, MPs warned yesterday.
The report by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said existing international sanctions were "not sufficiently robust" to persuade Tehran to stop enriching uranium – a key step in making a nuclear bomb.
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Mike Gapes warns that, if Iran is allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, a domino effect may be seen in the Middle East
However, further sanctions might help Iran's hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, by acting as a "scapegoat" for his economic failings.
Instead, the MPs urged the US to "engage" diplomatically with Iran.
The report added: "A military strike would be unlikely to succeed and could provoke an extremely violent backlash."
The MPs said the latest US intelligence showed that Tehran suspended its nuclear weapon programme in 2003.
However, if it started it up again, Iran could achieve "breakout nuclear capability" by 2015.
Committee chairman Mike Gapes said: "Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. If it did, it is very likely to lead to a domino effect in the Middle East."
