The head of Britain's MI6 intelligence service recently made a secret trip to Israel in an effort to dissuade Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from ordering an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday. MI6 chief John Sawers reportedly met two weeks ago with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, as well as a number of other Israeli officials. Sawers delivered the message that Britain thinks more time is needed to give diplomatic and economic sanctions the chance to succeed in stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons. According to the Daily Mail, it is rare for an MI6 chief to visit a foreign country as an emissary of the British government and even more unusual for details of such a trip to leak. British Prime Minister David Cameron is said to have become increasingly worried about statements by Israeli leaders on possible military action against Iran. Israel has not ruled out launching an independent military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Sawers reportedly told Israeli leaders that sanctions on Iran could be strengthened, but neither British or Israeli government officials would comment on Sawers' reported trip. "We would never discuss his travel plans or the reasons for it," a security source told the Daily Mail.
