Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu stated his country's right to defend itself against the possible threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. He also said the world cannot wait much longer to take action against Tehran, during his meeting in Washington with President Obama and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Monday.

"Israel will always reserve the right to defend itself," Netanyahu said in his uncompromising speech about the possible Iranian nuclear program, "We are determined to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons. We leave all options on the table and containment is not an option. The Jewish state will not allow those who seek Israel's destruction the means to achieve that goal. A nuclear-armed Iran must be stopped." he also told to media.

Netanyahu's visit to Washington D.C. comes amid speculation, in the press and in public statements by Israeli officials, that Israel is planning a military strike against nuclear facilities in Iran. Netanyahu told AIPAC that he would not talk about what Israel would or would not do, but reiterated that Israel would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu also said: "As prime minister of Israel, I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation."

The Obama administration has not said whether it would support Israeli action against Iran, and in recent weeks has said it sees no evidence that Iran is building a nuclear weapon. James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, testified before Congress in January that he believed Iran had not yet decided whether or not to build a bomb.

Obama said the United States "reserved all options" regarding Iran's nuclear programme, but wanted more time to pursue diplomacy.
International negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme have been stalled for more than a year, Israeli officials want Iran to completely suspend its uranium enrichment programme before the West resumes negotiations. However, the White House has apparently rejected that demand, which Iran would almost certainly refuse.


Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
during his speech to AIPAC in Washington D.C. on MondaySpreadForge News Network Correspondent KHALIQ (KH) & DAVIS (DA)

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[url=http://spreadforge.com/articles/article013.html]Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu: "All options on table and containment not an option"[/url]