Obama, Netanyahu split over Iran

 

Xinhua, March 6, 2012

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that there is still a "window" for a diplomatic resolution on Iran's nuclear issue, while the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel reserved the right to defend itself.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, capital of the United States, March 5, 2012. [Xinhua/Zhang Jun]

Sitting beside Netanyahu at the White House, Obama reaffirmed America's "rock solid" commitment to Israel's security, saying that the United States "will always have Israel's back."

Despite an effort to reassure an increasingly anxious Israel, Obama insisted that "there is still a window that allows for a diplomatic resolution" to Iran's nuclear issue.

"But ultimately, the Iranian regime has to make a decision to move in that direction, a decision that they have not made thus far," he added.

The high-profile meeting between Obama and Netanyahu came at a time when Israeli officials have been clamoring for a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities before the country obtains the ability to make nuclear bombs.

The Obama administration is trying to at least delay the potential strikes and is appealing to Israel for more time to allow sanctions to "sink in."

Netanyahu on Monday made it clear to Obama that Israel reserved the right to defend itself "against any threat."

"Israel must have the ability always to defend itself, against any threat, and when it comes to Israel's security, Israel has the right -- a sovereign right to make its own decisions," he said.

The hard-line Netanyahu added that his supreme responsibility is to ensure that the Jewish state "remains the master of its fate."

Despite his assertion that the Untied States and Israel "are together," it is still unclear if the two leaders have managed to smooth over their differences on what specific redlines apply for a military strike on Iran.

Rejecting the notion of a containment policy on a potentially nuclear-armed Iran, Obama noted that the aim of his administration is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, vowing to tighten pressure on the Islamic state.

He reiterated that all options are on the table in dealing with Iran, including "a military component."

Obama added that the level of consultation and coordination between the two allies' militaries and intelligence services has been "unprecedented."

He said that he will make sure that the consultations will continue during "what would be a series of difficult months in 2012."