Obama says U.S. will stop Iran from having nukes

JERUSALEM -- The United States will do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran's gaining a nuclear weapon, President Barack Obama said Wednesday, and he echoed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declaration that Israel has the right to "defend itself, by itself."

"Each country has to make its own decisions when it comes to the awesome decision to engage in any kind of military action," Obama said at a news conference alongside Netanyahu. "Israel is differently situated than the United States, and I would not expect the prime minister to make a decision about his country's security and defer that to any other country."

Netanyahu said he was "absolutely convinced" of Obama's resolve in preventing Iran from building a nuclear bomb, adding that diplomatic and economic pressure must be backed up by a "clear and credible threat of military action."

On his first visit to Israel as president, Obama sought to reassure the public about his commitment to their country's security following tension in recent years with Netanyahu over Israeli settlements, the peace process and dealing with Iran.

Iran's nuclear program and the turmoil in Syria were two of the main topics for Obama and Netanyahu in their news conference after they met for several hours at the prime minister's residence. Obama said the United States was investigating claims that a chemical weapon had been used in Syria and, if that were verified, it would be a "game-changer." But he said he's "deeply skeptical" of claims by President Bashar Assad's regime that rebel forces were behind such an attack.

The two leaders played down differences on Iran and where they diverge on steps toward restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Netanyahu said he agreed with Obama's assessment that it would take about a year for Iran to build a nuclear bomb, and Obama said there "is not a lot of daylight" between the United States and Israel.

While Obama's four-day agenda in the Middle East doesn't include specific goals for reviving the peace negotiations, he is also scheduled to meet today with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and tomorrow with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Obama said his goal was to listen to regional leaders to have a better understanding of the constraints and interests of the various parties and how the United States could play a constructive role in restarting negotiations.

After an arrival ceremony in Tel Aviv, Obama and Netanyahu inspected a U.S.-funded Iron Dome missile-defense battery that was brought to Ben-Gurion Airport to highlight the U.S.-Israel security partnership.