Senior western official: Israel won't attack Iran by year's end

By HERB KEINON
A senior western official said on Tuesday that he did not think Israel would feel the need to attack Iran before year's end. The official said that the US was not taking the military option off the table but stressed the need for economic and diplomatic sanctions, and getting the Europeans to implement further sanctions. He said he expected France to take more active role on issue after assuming EU presidency. The official also said there is a 6-12 month discrepancy between when Israel and the US believe Iran will reach point of no return, with Israel believing that the date will be sooner rather than later. Earlier, a Pentagon official told ABC News that the US was worried of an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities before the end of the year.