US President Barack Obama suggested Tuesday that Iran's nuclear programme was not an immediate threat, but said new world power talks would "quickly" establish if Tehran wanted to end the crisis. Obama stole some of the political limelight from Republican presidential hopefuls, holding his first White House news conference in five months as voters went to the polls in nation-wide Super Tuesday nominating contests.
A day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he could not wait "much longer" for diplomacy on Iran to work, Obama also slammed Republicans for "big talk" and "bluster" and failing to consider the costs of war. "This notion that somehow we have a choice to make in the next week or two weeks or month or two months is not borne out by the facts," Obama said, arguing a "window" for diplomacy could forestall and Iranian bomb. Obama has also warned however that he will not tolerate Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, would not attempt a containment policy and is prepared to strike at the appropriate time.
He spoke after world powers responded to Iran's new willingness to discuss the nuclear issue with an offer of talks, which Obama said would "quickly" show whether the Islamic republic was serious about avoiding war. Obama, seeking a second term in November, argued that Iran was now feeling the "bite" of tightening sanctions though cautioned he did not expect a breakthrough in a first set of negotiations.