VOA标准英语2008年-Israel Expresses Concern Over Iran Missile Test

Israeli officials are expressing concern over Iran's test firing of nine missiles on Wednesday. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem bureau.

Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, issued a statement saying "Israel has no desire for conflict with Iran, but the Iranian nuclear program and the Iranian ballistic missile program must be of grave concern to the entire international community."
　
An Iranian Shahab 3 missile rises into the air after being test-fired at an undisclosed location in the Iranian desert, 09 Jul 2008

Iranian revolutionary guards who conducted the missile test say at least one of the nine missiles fired was a Shahab 3 with a 2,000-kilometer range capable of striking Israel. Meir Javedanfar, a leading Iran analyst¹ in Israel, says Israeli officials are concerned.

"I think they are viewing this with much concern," he said. "It shows Iran has the capability² to reach Israel. But for now the Israeli priority is for the negotiations³ to succeed so the lower the Israeli government can keep the volume when it comes to the Iranian military capability the more it allows people like European Union negotiator Javier Solana to be able to negotiate with Iran and hopefully come to a peaceful conclusion."

The missile tests come amid continuing tensions in the region over Iran's refusal to abandon its nuclear program. Iranian officials say their nuclear program is strictly⁴ for generating electricity, but the U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

European Union negotiator Javier Solana has submitted a package of incentives⁵ that would include assistance to help Iran develop a civilian⁶ nuclear program if Iran does suspend its enrichment activities. Iranian officials said several days ago they are prepared to hold talks with Mr. Solana and his so called five-plus-one group to resolve the crisis.

Israeli officials insist that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and that pronouncements by Iranian leaders to wipe Israel off the map mean that Iran's nuclear enrichment activities are a threat to Israel's existence. Meir Javendanfar says Israeli officials are closely watching recent diplomatic efforts to end the crisis, because they seem to be having an effect inside Iran.

"I think the recent package from the EU, the five-plus-one, has actually created a lot of discussion within Iran regarding what to do, regarding President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's belligerent⁷ approach to the international community," he said. "So, what I think Israel wants to do is for the EU and the United Nations to become more involved with Iran, and meanwhile Israel can act as the international community's conscience when it comes to the Iranian danger."

Iran has threatened that any military action aimed at its nuclear enrichment program would lead to Iranian attacks against Israel, U.S. forces in the region, and the shut down of the Straits of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf⁸, through which much of the world's oil supply passes.

Israel recently conducted large scale military exercises over the Mediterranean⁹ which were described by U.S. officials as a warning to Iran. Following a recent trip to Israel, the U.S. Chairman of the Joint¹⁰ Chief's of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said any attack on Iran would be stressful for U.S. forces in the region.

At the same time Admiral Mullen said he was aware of what he said were very real threats to Israel from Iran. For his part, Iranian President Ahmadinejad said Tuesday any talk of war in the future was "a funny joke."

　

 

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

5 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 belligerent   

adj.好战的，挑起战争的；n.交战国，交战者

参考例句：

• He had a belligerent aspect.他有种好斗的神色。
• Our government has forbidden exporting the petroleum to the belligerent countries.我们政府已经禁止向交战国输出石油。

8 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

9 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。