Washington — President Obama said he would reassess his policies of engagement with Iran by the end of this year.
Obama, who appeared before reporters Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after their first White House meeting, also said that the United States was considering all options in dealing with Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program.
“I assured the prime minister that we are not foreclosing a range of steps, including sanctions, in ensuring that Iran understands that we are serious,” Obama said, following the 2 1/2-hour meeting, which also included close advisers to both leaders.
Netanyahu arrived in Washington hoping to find out how long the Obama administration was giving the Iranians to respond substantively to the president’s offer of outreach.
After the meeting, Obama rejected “artificial deadlines” for engagement with Iran, but added, “We’re not going to have to talk forever, we’re not going to have a situation where talks become an excuse for inaction.”
“We will probably be engaged and have an assessment by the end of the year.”
Obama reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution, while Netanyahu resolutely refused to commit to Palestinian statehood. Instead, Netanyanu again said Israel was serious about resuming the full range of negotiations with the Palestinians.
Obama said that both sides must abide by previous commitments, calling on the Palestinians to rein in violence against Israel, but also urging Netanyahu to stop settlement expansion and allow humanitarian goods into the Gaza Strip.
Both leaders said that Iranian and Israeli-Palestinian issues have a causal effect on one another, but rejected any formal linkage between the issues.
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Your coverage of the Obama-Netanyahu meeting is certainly far superior to that of the Jerusalem Post.
I heard the President say that settlements must be stopped. The real question that we must ask is this: Will this mark the end of the 41+ year perpetual presidential pardon of the Occupation? I hope so.
US may threaten or plead with israel, but land theft won't, i educe, cease. the land robbers will keep robbing the {W} bank as long as US avoids a sizable action against israel. and the land robbers {china, russia, US, Israel} have an understanding. of course, US and israel have another, entirely different, {un}written pakt. namely, that settling of the planet by the strongest is just begining.
just beginig, folks! Thus israel and US might stick together until mission achievables in excanaan+, exiraq, expak'n, exafgh'n are achieved. and US cannot fail. It has lostof missiles and bombs. More 'improved' ones are on the way. And if pashtuns or iraqis do not cry uncle after decades of bombardment, there are always n-bombs available to make the people with the 'tainted' skin finally cry "Uncle"!
for this reason, i had been suggesting to pals, iraqis, and pashtuns to cease with armed resistance and play sheep. tnx