"The United States -- and the president's made this clear -- does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the CBS program "60 Minutes."
"That's a red line for us. And it's a red line obviously for the Israelis so we share a common goal here."
Panetta maintained that US officials "will take whatever steps are necessary to stop it" if Washington receives intelligence that Iran is proceeding with developing a nuclear weapon.
Asked if that meant military action, he said: "There are no options that are off the table."
Panetta told the interviewer that "the consensus is that, if they (Iran) decided to do it, it would probably take them about a year to be able to produce a bomb and then possibly another one to two years in order to put it on a deliverable vehicle of some sort in order to deliver that weapon."
In a report issued in November, the International Atomic Energy Agency said intelligence from more than 10 countries and its own sources "indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device."
It detailed 12 suspicious areas such as testing explosives in a steel container at a military base and studies on Shahab-3 ballistic missile warheads that the IAEA said were "highly relevant to a nuclear weapon program."
Iran rejected the dossier as based on forgeries.
The Islamic Republic has come under unprecedented international pressure since the publication of the report, with Washington and the European Union targeting its oil sector and central bank.
In his State of the Union message Tuesday, Obama said a peaceful outcome was still possible with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, but he declined to rule out the military option.
"The regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent," Obama said.
"Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal," the president declared, triggering a standing ovation.
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What is Obama's option on the table to deter Iran from going nuclear? Israeli intelligence has recently estimated Iran's military ability to weather the storm and cast doubt on the widespread assumption that a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would trigger a catastrophic domino effects like a regional conflagration, widespread acts of terrorism and sky-high oil prices.
Won't the knowledge by ignorant americans of their sweat in taxation culminating into an oblivious misuse by the hegemonious jewish multinational wealth glatons to achieve chauvenistc ends, one day ignite an arab-like spring in the US. How i wish!!!!!!!! That would even make the permanent victims of nagasaki and.... is it heroshima... to breath a sigh of relief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@A. Khan: - Sir when both iran and iraq were militarily powerful in ( relatively ) recent history , with whom did they indeed have war ? iran being more powerful will add pressure for a free beluchistan as a distinct possibilty too.
at the same time Iran is not working for the awareness in the people of US and Israel instead she said that she will obliterate and steam Israel and US from the face of earth , are you mad Iran ? with these thoughts no one will consider your point , not even Allah will give you help ,there are majority in US and Israel who are innocent and working hard just to feed their families and give them shelter .
American people have no Idea that their taxes and their country resources are being used to capture oil fields by Billionaire firms(mainly jews) , I ask them that what benefit will they had?you as a citizen the 98% majority still have to buy fuel on same prices like rest of the world people. Wake up ,decide your destiny ,your Gov is not leading you to destiny ,they are just few billionaires holding up all resources of your country and major resources of World
If Iran tests a nuke then there will be war - that's what happens when your President calls for the annihilation of Israel and your country chants "death to America", "death to UK etc" for 30 plus years. People who think they go to heaven when they kill infidels should never posses weapons of mass destruction - no ifs, ands, or buts.
Dear John B We are quite happy with the thought of Iran having a nuclear bomb. For one, it will put Israel in its place. It will make the US think twice before attacking another country. And wouldn't an uprising against a dictatorial monarchy be in line of the Arab Spring which is so widely extolled by the West? Isn't that the democracy that you guys keep shoving down our throats? A. Khan
Iran having a nuclear weapon is only a threat to Muslim world first, the rest of the world second. Then again, no one in PAK will listen because they are drunk with atoms. The middle east will be molten with Iranian supported upraising, and anti monarch protests in all the countries where there are monarchies or Amirs.
They want an Excuse for Invading a Country .
Wasn't the same said about biological weapons in Iraq? Did they find any?
How can American and Israeli people be so stupid in believing what their government says!!!