President Obama: U.S., Israel in ‘lockstep’ on Iran
\nBy JOSH GERSTEIN – 5 February, 2012 – Politico<\/p>\n
President Barack Obama said Sunday that he\u2019s committed to working in \u201clockstep\u201d with Israel to try to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, as concern is rising in the U.S. and overseas about a possible Israeli strike on Iran that could unleash violence across the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Obama seemed eager to calm worries that Israel is on the brink of a pre-emptive attack, even as he continued to warn about the danger of Iran becoming a nuclear power.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think that Israel has made a decision on what they need to do,\u201d Obama said during a six-minute, live interview from the White House during NBC\u2019s Super Bowl pre-game show. \u201cWe are going to make sure that we work in lockstep, as we proceed to try to solve this \u2014 hopefully, diplomatically.\u201d<\/p>\n
Obama told NBC\u2019s Matt Lauer that he believes expanded international sanctions on Iran are hurting the regime.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are feeling the pinch. They are feeling the pressure,\u201d the president said. \u201cBut they have not taken the steps that they need to diplomatically to say \u2018We will pursue peaceful nuclear power. We will not pursue a nuclear weapon.\u2019 Until they do, I think Israel is going to be very concerned, and we are as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Obama did not directly answer a question from Lauer about whether the U.S. has blessed any military action by Israel, nor would he say whether Israel has promised to warn the U.S. before carrying out a strike against Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t go into the details of our conversations. I will say that we have closer military and intelligence consultation between our two countries than we ever have. And my number one priority continues to be the security of the United States, but also the security of Israel,\u201d Obama said.<\/p>\n
A series of published reports and statements from Israeli officials in the past week have raised concern that the Jewish state may act in the next few months to try to set back Iran\u2019s nuclear program, which Tehran insists is peaceful but outside experts believe is aimed at building nuclear weapons.
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