MOSCOW, May 26 (RIA Novosti) - North Korea's recent nuclear test once again raises the issue of Iran's nuclear program, viewed by Israel as a direct threat to the country, a senior Russian academic said on Tuesday.
Pyongyang conducted an underground nuclear test and fired three short-range surface-to-air missiles on Monday in defiance of UN resolutions.
Georgy Mirsky, a senior research fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations with the Russian Academy of Sciences, told RIA Novosti that Israel wants "Iranian nuclear facilities deactivated while it isn't too late and Iran has become a second North Korea."
The U.S., Israel and some other Western countries suspect Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons program, while Tehran insists that it is intended solely for civilian purposes.
Last week Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tehran test-launched an advanced surface-to-surface missile, capable of hitting Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf.
Mirsky said that U.S. President Barack Obama must not ignore developments on the North Korean peninsula and will have to take immediate steps to ensure Israel's safety and avoid Tel Aviv taking things into its own hands and possibly using military force.
"He [Obama] can't fail to understand that if he leaves the situation in limbo the time will come when the Netanyahu government or that of another premier will not be able to resist public opinion," he said, adding that "if not they [the government] will appear weak and be forced to step down."
Ahmedinejad is known for his anti-Israeli rhetoric, adding to Western concerns over Iran's nuclear program. He is most famous for saying that Israel should be wiped off the map and called on Europe or North America to host a Jewish state.
President Obama has promised more diplomatic engagement with Tehran, something that was resisted under the Bush administration.
Israel is not against plans by the U.S. administration to enter into dialogue with Tehran, but has urged that the talks be limited to strict timeframes, demanding that other measures be used should negotiations fail.
Tel Aviv has also repeatedly stated that it is capable of defending its country and warned of preventive strikes against Iran if Tehran pursues a nuclear weapons program.
