Israel won't strike Iran's nuke assets in the near future: Netanyahu

Jerusalem, Mar 9(ANI): Israel will wait for sanctions to work against Iran and will not attack that country's nuclear assets in near future, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

"I am not standing with a stopwatch in hand. It is not a matter days or weeks, but also not a matter of years. Everybody understands this," The Telegraph quoted Netanyahu, as saying.

He, however, hinted Israel could resort to force if Iran continues to defy major powers' diplomatic pressure to halt its nuclear programme.

"We would be happy if this thing is resolved peacefully, if Iran decides to stop its nuclear programme. To stop it, to dismantle its facility in Qom, and to stop enriching uranium. I will be most happy, I think all Israel's citizens will also be happy," he added.

Netanyahu had earlier assured US President Barack Obama at the Washington talks that Israel had made no decision on attacking Iran's nuclear assets but did not rule out military action, sources said.

Netanyahu said Israel felt the Iran's threat was more immediate to itself than to the United States.

"There is an inherent difference: The US is big and far away, Israel is less big and closer to the threat, and of course, there are different capabilities. Therefore, the US clock for stopping Iran becoming nuclear is not the same as the Israeli clock, which, of course, runs on a different timetable," he said. (ANI)