The United States rejected on Monday Israeli concerns that it had become necessary to pursue a credible military threat against Iran, saying sanctions could deter Tehran from building a nuclear weapon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday that such a threat was the only way to sway Iran, Israeli political sources said.
-- Netanyahu says credible military threat needed
-- Gates says all options remain on the table
"I disagree that only a credible military threat can get Iran to take the action that it needs to end its nuclear weapons programme," US Defence Secretary Robert Gates a news conference in Melbourne when asked about Netanyahu's remarks. "We are prepared to do what is necessary. But at this point we continue to believe that the political, economic approach that we are taking is in fact having an impact in Iran."
Israel and the United States do not rule out a pre-emptive strike to stop Iran, but US officials have repeatedly warned of far-reaching consequences of any military action. They also say while a military strike might delay Iran, it will not stop it from pursuing a nuclear bomb if it wants one. Iran denies Western accusations that its nuclear programme is aimed at developing atomic weapons. But the standoff has the potential to ignite a regional arms race and degenerate into a wider Middle East conflict.
Gates, echoing comments by Biden on Sunday, said that tough new sanctions approved by the UN Security Council were "biting more deeply than (Tehran) anticipated". He later told a small group of reporters that additional punitive measures by allies, beyond the UN sanctions, "have had considerable effect in terms of aggravating Iran's trade and financial operations".
Still, he said all options remained on the table. "The president has said repeatedly that when it comes to Iran that all options are on the table and we are doing what we need to do to ensure that he has those options," he said. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said Iran is ready to hold talks on its nuclear programme with major powers, and proposed that talks be held in Turkey.
"The Iranians have reached back out and said they would be willing to meet, but so far as I know there is no date or time for that meeting," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the same news conference, following talks in Australia. "Certainly we have made it clear we would welcome a return to the negotiating table."
Israel's talk of a military threat has raised speculation in Israeli media that Netanyahu, who has rebuffed US and international calls to re-impose a freeze on building in West Bank settlements, was trying to shift the focus of his visit away from the settlement stalemate.
But Netanyahu had made clear that Israel wanted to see if tough economic sanctions could eliminate what it has described as a threat against its existence. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Clinton in New York on Thursday for a fuller discussion on Israeli-Palestinian issues. Netanyahu will not see Obama, who is on a 10-day trip to Asia.