Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Obama he should increase pressure on Iran if Tehran tries to stall for time by negotiating with the West while continuing its drive toward nuclear weapons.
Obama promised Netanyahu during a one-hour-plus meeting in the Oval Office that he would go into talks with Iran’s new president “very cleared-eyed.”
Netanyahu made his pitch to maintain a hard line with Tehran after President Hassan Rouhani’s charm offensive last week culminated in a breakthrough phone call with Obama.
Netanyahu, who has often clashed with Obama over Israeli-Palestinian relations and other issues, was firm but fairly mild in his remarks as he sat side by side with Obama at a postmeeting press opportunity on Monday.
“It is Israel’s firm belief that if Iran continues to advance its nuclear program during negotiations, the sanctions should be strengthened,” Netanyahu said. He added that a “credible military threat” against Iran also was necessary.
Obama said he had no choice but to see where Rouhani’s new approach goes after 34 years of US-Iranian estrangement.
“We have to test diplomacy,” he said. “But we enter into negotiations very clear-eyed.”
He indicated that reducing international sanctions, which have greatly damage the Iranian economy, is possible.
“Anything we do will require the highest standards of verification in order to provide the sort of sanctions relief that I think they are looking for,” Obama said.
He also repeated words that Netanyahu wanted to hear.
“We take no options off the table,” Obama promised, using code words for military action.
The two leaders also discussed the Syrian crisis, the US bid to revive the moribund Mideast peace process and the turmoil in Egypt during their meeting.
Earlier Monday, a Netanyahu aide said the prime minister did not care if he was seen as “spoiling the party,” meaning the optimistic mood that followed Rouhani’s five-day UN visit.
But Netanyahu appeared to soften the Israeli position.
For example, he said the only acceptable outcome of negotiations was the dismantling of Iran’s “military nuclear program.”
In the past, Netanyahu has indicated that even the civilian nuclear-power program that Iran claims it was developing was unacceptable.
The usually feisty prime minister gets his chance to present Israel’s view to the UN General Assembly Tuesday afternoon.
Before leaving Israel for the United States, he said his goal was to counter Rouhani’s “sweet talks and the blitz of smiles.”