Time is on Iran’s side as it continues to make progress on its nuclear program, former Zionist Air Force commander Maj.-Gen. (res.) Ido Nehushtan told diplomats at The Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference in Herzliya on Wednesday.

Time is on Iran's side as it continues to make progress on its nuclear program, former Zionist Air Force commander Maj.-Gen. (res.) Ido Nehushtan told diplomats at The Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference in Herzliya on Wednesday.

Asking the audience to imagine the ‘implications’ of a nuclear-armed Iran, Nehushtan cited the 1962 Cuban missile crisis between the US and the Soviet Union, which he said was cleverly managed and peacefully resolved by two responsible leaders at the time.

"Can you manage a crisis like this vis-a-vis a radical Islamic regime?" he asked, noting that a nuclear Iran would create a multi-nuclear Middle East. "This is a hot area, not built for cold wars. It's not an Israeli problem, but a regional and a world problem," he added.

Nehushtan described Iran's global arms network as "an octopus" citing Iranian Fajr rockets in Gaza, Iran's so-called presence in Syria, and ‘activities’ in Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and Thailand.

With regards to Tehran's nuclear program, "time is working only for one side... the Iranian side, by definition," he warned. "The Iranians are masters of negotiations. They invented the game of chess. They know how to do the business. Time is working on their side," Nehushtan said.

Nehushtan said a "global toolbox" is in place to prevent a nuclear Iran, adding that "sanctions are having an impact, but so far, they have not achieved their goal [to stop the nuclear program]. This toolbox has to be filled with all the options, all the time, in a credible manner."

In parallel, US ambassador to the Zionist entity Dan Shapiro who also took part in the conference said that "our message to Iran is that the window is open for diplomatic solution, but the window is not open indefinitely."

Jpost further quoted Shapiro as saying that "Israel and the US have a shared principle that no options are off the table. A nuclear Iran would embolden terror groups. The whole world must work to prevent a nuclear Iran."

On another level, Shapiro  highlighted the crucial alliance between the US and "Israel", indicating that Washington is seeking "international support for IDF Operation Pillar of Defense".

"I'm proud of US support for Israel during the crisis," Jpost quoted Shapiro as saying during the conference, adding that "[US Secretary of State Hillary] Clinton, [US President Barack] Obama and [US envoy to the UN Susan] Rice's comments of support were crucial to securing international support for Israel."

"Israel-US relationship is based on the commitment of American people to supporting Jewish state in its historic Jewish homelandm" the US ambassador said.