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Obama: US and Israel 'in lockstep' to stop Iran becoming nuclear power | Obama: US and Israel 'in lockstep' to stop Iran becoming nuclear power |
(about 9 hours later) | |
Barack Obama has said that the United States will work in "lockstep" with Israel to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, but he did not believe Israel had decided whether to launch a military strike. | Barack Obama has said that the United States will work in "lockstep" with Israel to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, but he did not believe Israel had decided whether to launch a military strike. |
The US president's comments appeared to be an attempt to downplay speculation that Israel was preparing to attack Iran following a report last week that the US defence secretary, Leon Panetta, believes an Israeli strike could happen this spring. | The US president's comments appeared to be an attempt to downplay speculation that Israel was preparing to attack Iran following a report last week that the US defence secretary, Leon Panetta, believes an Israeli strike could happen this spring. |
Obama told NBC television in an interview from the White House on Sunday that Israel is "rightly" very concerned about Iran's nuclear program, but said: "I don't think that Israel has made a decision on what they need to do". | Obama told NBC television in an interview from the White House on Sunday that Israel is "rightly" very concerned about Iran's nuclear program, but said: "I don't think that Israel has made a decision on what they need to do". |
He said that he hopes that the crisis will be resolved diplomatically but reiterated that the US has removed no option from consideration. | He said that he hopes that the crisis will be resolved diplomatically but reiterated that the US has removed no option from consideration. |
Asked about a potential attack by Iran on the US mainland, Obama said, "We don't see any evidence that they have those intentions or capabilities right now." | |
Tensions between Israel and Iran have continued to ratchet up in recent days. The Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak claimed on Thursday that there is a "wide global understanding" that military action may be needed, while Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called Israel on Friday a "cancerous tumour that should be cut and will be cut". | |
Meanwhile, Obama said during the same interview that he deserves re-election, despite the difficulties of the US economy, adding that his administration is creating more than 250,000 jobs a month, the most since 2005, and a reversal from the 750,000 jobs the economy was losing three years ago. | Meanwhile, Obama said during the same interview that he deserves re-election, despite the difficulties of the US economy, adding that his administration is creating more than 250,000 jobs a month, the most since 2005, and a reversal from the 750,000 jobs the economy was losing three years ago. |
The president said US manufacturing still needs a boost: "We have got to make sure we are pushing American energy, not just oil and gas, but clean energy." | The president said US manufacturing still needs a boost: "We have got to make sure we are pushing American energy, not just oil and gas, but clean energy." |
Obama also said the country needed to return to "old-fashioned American values," so "everyone gets a fair shake". | Obama also said the country needed to return to "old-fashioned American values," so "everyone gets a fair shake". |
Three years ago, Obama had said if the economy hadn't turned around by this time, his presidency would be "a one-term proposition". | Three years ago, Obama had said if the economy hadn't turned around by this time, his presidency would be "a one-term proposition". |
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