WORLD IN BRIEF : ISRAEL : Secret Purchase of Iran Oil Reported

Israel has begun buying Iranian oil in an effort to use trade ties to gain the release of Israeli soldiers and possibly Westerners held hostage in Lebanon, NBC News reported. The network, citing U.S. and Israeli intelligence sources, said Israel paid $36 million in cash for 2 million barrels unloaded in Eilat in November. The report said the United States, anxious to win the release of American hostages held in Lebanon, gave its blessing to the Israeli initiative. Israel has no trouble buying its required 170,000 barrels a day on the world market and did not deal directly with Iran, the report said.