Benjamin Netanyahu has stepped up pressure on the United States to take military action against Iran by openly declaring that the Obama administration's strategy of sanctions against Tehran was not working.

With America's visiting defence secretary, Leon Panetta, standing next to him, the Israeli prime minister criticised US policy towards Iran in the bluntest terms, demonstrating the growing gulf between the two allies.

"However forceful our statements, they have not convinced Iran that we are serious about stopping them, he said. "Right now the Iranian regime believes that the international community does not have the will to stop its nuclear programme."

Mr Netanyahu again hinted that Israel could take matters into its own hands as he accused Washington of taking too long to move on to a war footing.

"You yourself said a few months ago that when all else fails, America will act," he told Mr Panetta. "But these declarations have also not yet convinced the Iranians to stop their programme.

"This must change, and it must change quickly because time to resolve this issue peacefully is running out."

For months, US officials have sought to dissuade Israel from launching unilateral military action against Iran's nuclear facilities, urging Mr Netanyahu to give beefed-up sanctions against Tehran the chance to work.

Although Israel fell reluctantly into line, there are signs that the uneasy consensus may be weakening.

Analysts suggest, however, that Israel's increasingly bellicose rhetoric may partly be driven by Barack Obama's perceived vulnerability over being seen as weak on Iran three months before the US presidential election.

Mitt Romney, Mr Obama's Republican challenger, visited Jerusalem this week and signalled that he would not stand in the way of Israeli military strikes against Iran.

Mr Panetta adopted a tough tone against Iran as he attempted to reassure his Israeli hosts, implicitly threatening an American military attack if Iran failed to curb its nuclear ambitions.

"If they make the decision to proceed with a nuclear weapon, we have options that we are prepared to implement to ensure that does not happen," he said.----

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/9444671/Benjamin-Netanyahu-sanctions-on-Iran-are-not-working.html