Obama, Netanyahu fail to iron out differences over Iran U.S. President Barack Obama (R) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Neta...
Obama, Netanyahu fail to iron out differences over Iran
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WASHINGTON, March 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to iron out their differences over Iran's nuclear program at their high-profile meeting which ended here Monday.
The White House offered nothing new in its statement after the meeting, which, as Obama put it, came at a critical time.
The statement said that at the meeting that lasted several hours, Obama just repeated what he had said in the past days in his speech and interview, indicating his failure to persuade the Israeli leader to hold off a proposed preemptive military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities at least in the coming months.
"The two leaders agreed to consult closely going forward," the White House statement said.
At the start of their meeting, Obama told reporters at his Oval Office that there is still a "window" for a diplomatic resolution to Iran's nuclear issue.
"I know that both the prime minister and I prefer to resolve this diplomatically. We understand the costs of any military action," Obama stated as Netanyahu sat beside him.
Acknowledging Israel's concerns, Obama reaffirmed America's "rock solid" commitment to its security, saying the United States "will always have Israel's back".
For his part, Netanyahu said"When it comes to Israel's security, Israel has the right -- a sovereign right to make its own decisions."
"My supreme responsibility as prime minister of Israel is to ensure that Israel remains the master of its fate," he told Obama.
The meeting came at a time when Israeli officials have been clamoring for a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear sites before the Islamic republic obtains the ability to make nuclear bombs.
The Obama administration has been trying to delay the potential strikes by appealing to Israel for more time to allow sanctions on Iran to "sink in."
Israel and the West accuse Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons, but the latter denies it and says its nuclear program is for peaceful use.
However, some Congress members and Republican presidential candidates, among others, have accused Obama of being weak in backing a staunch ally and confronting a bitter foe.
As Obama has shifted to a high gear for his reelection campaign, the Iranian nuclear program has become a hot-button foreign policy issue.
However, in his remarks to a pro-Israel group on Sunday and an interview with The Atlantic monthly days earlier, the president held on to his diplomacy-first approach to Iran's nuclear issue, vowing at the same time to retain a military option as the last resort when "time and circumstances" demand it.
Israel, which sees Iran as an arch rival, has been pressing Obama to clarify the "circumstances," or setting a red line when Washington itself will launch military strikes against Iran.
Obama is seen in no mood to have another war in the Middle East when he focuses on growth and job creation at home, the top concern of American voters.
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