US Urges Israeli Patience On Iran

Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with US President Barack Obama in Washington next week, White House officials said that the US stance on a possible Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities is clear.

"We're trying to make the decision to attack Iran as hard as possible for Israel," an administration official, speaking anonymously, told the Washington Post.

White House officials said that for now, both Democrats and the Republicans feel that a strike would be premature and that the diplomatic efforts and international sanctions have yet to exhaust themselves.

"Obama plans to caution Netanyahu against attacking Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, urging patience while international economic sanctions take full effect," the report said.

Israel maintains that time is running out and that the West must find a way to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions immediately.

The US, however, is still hesitant-- while the administration has voiced an adamant intention to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, it has yet to make the leap to declaring it wants to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions, i.e. – its civilian and nuclear efforts – altogether.

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