Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has instructed his Cabinet ministers to avoid expressing their personal views on a U.S. intelligence report that says Tehran is no longer developing nuclear weapons.
Mr. Olmert made his remarks after Israel's public security minister, Avi Dichter, criticized the report in a speech Saturday.
Dichter called the report an American misconception about Iran's nuclear program and said it could lead to a regional war. He said Israel will work to change the views of Iran by U.S. intelligence agencies.
Media reports from Israel say an Israeli delegation has been holding meetings in the United States to try to convince U.S. officials that Iran still seeks to develop nuclear weapons. It is not clear what type of information the Israeli delegation has presented to U.S. officials.
A U.S. National Intelligence Estimate issued this month said Iran stopped a secret nuclear weapons program four years ago. The report also said Iran continues to enrich uranium and would have enough for a nuclear weapon some time between 2010 and 2015.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.
