- Pro l ifer ation ▁Tre aty ▁and ▁which ▁is ▁widely ▁believed ▁to ▁possess ▁nuclear ▁weapons , ▁has ▁frequently ▁claimed ▁that ▁Iran ▁is ▁act ively ▁purs uing ▁a ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁program . ▁Ar gu ing ▁an ▁" exist ential ▁threat ▁from ▁Iran ", ▁Israel ▁has ▁issued ▁several ▁ve iled ▁and ▁explicit ▁thre ats ▁to ▁attack ▁Iran . ▁Mike ▁M ull en , ▁former ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁J oint ▁Chief s ▁of ▁Staff , ▁has ▁ca ution ed ▁that ▁an ▁Isra eli ▁air ▁attack ▁on ▁Iran ▁would ▁be ▁high - ris k ▁and ▁war ned ▁against ▁Israel ▁striking ▁Iran . ▁ ▁George ▁Fried man , ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁global ▁intelligence ▁company ▁Str at for , ▁has ▁said ▁Iran ▁is ▁" dec ades ▁away " ▁from ▁developing ▁any ▁cred ible ▁nuclear - ar ms ▁capacity ▁and ▁that ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁Iran ▁would ▁have ▁grave ▁re per cuss ions ▁for ▁the ▁global ▁economy . ▁If ▁Iran ▁ever ▁did ▁develop ▁nuclear ▁weapons , ▁Isra eli ▁academic ▁Av ner ▁C ohen ▁has ▁observed ▁" that ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁a ▁deliber ate ▁Iran ian ▁first ▁nuclear ▁strike ▁on ▁Israel , ▁an ▁out - of ▁the - blue ▁scenario , ▁is ▁virt ually ▁none x istent ... ▁[ T ] he ▁ch ances ▁of ▁Iran ▁– ▁or ▁for ▁that ▁matter ▁any ▁other ▁nuclear ▁power ▁– ▁un le ash ing ▁a ▁nuclear ▁strike ▁against ▁Israel , ▁which ▁has ▁nuclear ▁capabilities ▁itself , ▁strike ▁me ▁as ▁close ▁to ▁zero ." ▁ ▁Walter ▁P inc us ▁of ▁the ▁Washington