Israeli Officials Say Ahmadinejad Win 'Very Worrying'

In the first comment on the results of Iran’s presidential elections on Saturday, a senior Israeli official was quoted as saying that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's apparent landslide election victory is "very worrying" to Israel. "This is a very worrying development, as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the most militant of the candidates, and it can only lead his country into a confrontation with the Western world," the Israeli official was quoted as saying.

Israeli ministers appeared unsurprised by Ahmadinejad's win, but emphasized that it should serve as an alert to the international community. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said that the international community must step up efforts to deal with Iranian terror and nuclear aspirations "immediately," given the results in Iran.

"In Israel, we had no illusions, because we knew there was no essential difference between candidates on the topics of terror and nuclear development. If there had been even a spark of hope for a change in Iran, the reelection of Ahmadinejad demonstrated once more the increasing threat from Iran," he said.

The results of Iranian presidential elections "are exploding in the face of those who thought that Iran was built for true dialogue with the free world, including a cessation of its nuclear program," claimed Israeli Regional Cooperation Minister Silvan Shalom.

"The election of (incumbent President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad send a clear message to the world, that the current policy has won widespread support and thus, will continue. The United States and the free world must reassess their policy towards Iran regarding its nuclear program," he said.

Iranian election officials said Ahmadinejad defeated his main rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi, by a substantial margin, though final results have not yet been released.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran is the greatest threat to Israel since the formation of the Zionist entity in 1948.

Israel, the region's sole if undeclared nuclear-armed state, claims Iran is trying to develop atomic weapons under the guise of a peaceful nuclear program, a charge Tehran has vehemently denied. Israel also accuses Iran of funding, arming and training Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Hamas resistance movement in the Gaza Strip.