Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said she is sure the Israelis will defend themselves against the Iranians if they were to reach nuclear capabilities.

I dont have any doubt that the Israelis will defend themselves if the Iranians look as if they really are about to cross that nuclear threshold," Rice told Newsmax in a TV interview.

Open gallery view Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Credit: AP

Rice maintained that pressure on Iran must continue in order to prevent an Israeli attack.

"Pressure on the Iranian regime is an absolute must, because the unintended consequences of an attack by Israel on Iran, the very fact that we talk about something like that, shows how extremely crucial this issue is," Rice told Newsmax.

Earlier Monday, Western experts reported that Iran has acquired the knowledge, technology, and resources to build a nuclear bomb within months, according to a report by the United Nations' atomic agency they were briefed on.

Moreover, Israel's media has been rife with speculation that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to secure cabinet consensus for an attack on Iranian nuclear installations.

Russia's foreign minister warned on Monday that an Israeli military strike against Iran would be a grave mistake with unpredictable consequences.

"This would be a very serious mistake fraught with unpredictable consequences," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said when asked about reports that Israel planned a military strike against Iran.

קראו כתבה זו בעברית: רייס: ישראל תדע להגן על עצמה מפני איראן