1. Wide of Ehud Barak, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister walking into news conference 2. Cutaway of reporters 3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ehud Barak, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister "I should tell you my feeling is that if this regime, which is an extremely radical regime, will get nuclear weapons, it will become somehow immune against toppling it down because it will get the same kind of immunity that Kim Jong Il had here in your region." 4. Wide of news conference 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ehud Barak, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister "There is a consensus at least in the West and North America, that no option should be removed off the table in regard to dealing with these threats. We feel the same, we feel that still, there is still time for even more tight ratcheted up sanctions against Iran to include not just sanctions against the export of oil but also sanctions against the central bank and access to the financial clearing systems of international financial world. And that this should be done determinedly and in a conclusive manner and urgently." 6. Cutaway of reporters 7. Mid of news conference 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ehud Barak, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister "I think that the way and the magnitude of this violence and killing against his own people in the last several months brings him beyond the point of any possible recuperation or resumption of authority and legitimacy within his own people, of course it can take time and I say repeatedly I don't know whether it will take a few weeks or a few months or a few quarters. But I count it in weeks, probably it can take 10 weeks or 20 weeks, but it's still weeks and I don't believe that he will see 2013 in power." 9. Wide of news conference 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ehud Barak, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister "What we are watching is the relationship between Assad family and regime and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Assad family were supporting logistically and in many other ways the Hezbollah and was the kind of physical channel through which the Iranians supported Hezbollah. So we are watching somewhat disturbed the possibility of an attempt, when Assad collapses, to pass modern weapons systems into the hands of Hezbollah, be it anti-aircraft missiles, heavy ground to ground missiles or chemical warfare materials or so." 11. Cutaway of reporters 12. Barak leaving news conference STORYLINE Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Barak has urged the international community to step up sanctions against Iran before they establish nuclear weapon capabilities. Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo on Saturday, Barak also said he didn't expect Syrian President Bashar Assad to still be in power by 2013. His comments were made amid growing tension over Iran's nuclear programme after the nation announced it had made significant progress in it's nuclear capabilities. "I should tell you my feeling is that if this regime, which are extremely radical regime will get nuclear weapons, it will become somehow immune against toppling it down because it will get the same kind of immunity that Kim Jong Il had here in your region," Barak said. The Israeli Deputy Prime Minister was speaking to reporters on the fifth and final day of his stay in Japan. During his visit, he met with the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda who urged Barak not to resort to military action against Iran. During the news conference, Barak reiterated that "no option should be removed off the table" but maintained that there is still time to move forward with tougher steps that would include sanctions against Iran's central bank. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9690bbe121883062b421e934803715fe Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 30 Jul 2015
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