Ex-KGB general cautions US against Iran war

A former KGB general and Russian prime minister says a war on Iran would produce a question mark over the Republican Party's sanity.

In a televised interview on Monday, Yevgeny Primakov downplayed the prospects of a US- or Israeli-waged war on Iran over its nuclear program.

"I doubt Republicans would commit themselves to such an imprudent measure," said Primakov.

His remarks come shortly after Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak claimed on Friday that 'Iran continues to try to build a nuclear weapon'.

"We don't rule out any option. We recommend others don't rule out any option either," added Barak referring to US president-elect Barack Obama's plans to engage Iran with direct diplomacy over the country's nuclear program.

Tehran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), denies the Israeli claim, insisting that its enrichment program is solely directed at the civilian applications of the technology. More

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has warned the US vice president-elect against changing the Bush White House policies toward Iran.

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