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Dennis Ross: Israel's Iran Threats Aimed at Spurring Global Action

Part of Israel's motivation for being so public about a possible attack on Iran is to prepare Israelis and the rest of the world for an actual attack, said Mideast troubleshooter Dennis Ross in an interview with Al-Monitor's Laura Rozen. The rhetoric isn't just a bluff, but that doesn't mean there's a day-after strategy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Defence Minister Ehud Barak examine a C-704 anti-ship missile at the southern port of Ashdod on March 16, 2011 as Israel displayed the haul of weapons it discovered on a seized ship it says was carrying arms being smuggled from Iran to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. AFP PHOTO /JACK GUEZ (Photo credit should read JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Defense Minister Ehud Barak examine a C-704 anti-ship missile at the southern port of Ashdod on March 16, 2011 as Israel displayed the haul of weapons it discovered on a seized ship it says was carrying arms being smuggled from Iran to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. — JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images

Israel’s intentions on Iran are ambiguous, veteran United States-Middle East trouble shooter Dennis Ross says.

“Part of the motivation for being as public as they have been is to motivate the rest of world," Ross, who served as the top Obama White House Iran strategist from 2009 to the end of 2011, told Al-Monitor in an interview Tuesday.

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