Israel's leadership decided in a top-level strategic discussion to prevent Iran from having nuclear bombs no matter what it takes, Ma'ariv reports in its front page headline story Friday.

The paper's senior political reporter Ben Caspit writes: "The meaning is clear: the debate between those who believe in doing everything, including a military operation, to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb, and those who think we can live with Iranian nukes, has been settled." In addition, he says: "If the ayatollahs' regime does not fall in the next year, if the Americans do not strike militarily and if sanctions do not break the Iranian nuclear plan, Israel will have to act forcefully. In other words: preparations for an Israeli military option intended to stop Iran's nuclear program are under way."

The analysis says that at present, the U.S. is refusing to cooperate with the Israeli plan and will not give Israel the necessary permission and codes it needs to overfly Iraq in order to attack Iran."The Americans have decided to put up with a nuclear Iran and are trying to persuade us to put up with it too. But we will not," a security source said.