US President Barack Obama said that it would take Iran "over a year or so" to develop a nuclear weapon, but added, "We don\’t want to cut it that close."
Speaking in an interview with Channel 2 aired Thursday, Obama reiterated the suggestion that a US military strike on Iran\’s nuclear facilities was a possibility.
"When I say all options are on the table, all options are on the table and the US has significant capabilities. Our goal is that Iran will not have weapons that threaten Israel or lead to an arms race in the region," Obama stated.
According to Channel 2, Obama also addressed calls for him to grant clemency to jailed Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard. "I will not free Pollard," Channel 2 quoted Obama as saying.
The US president, set to arrive in Israel for his first visit as US president on Wednesday March 20, said that he fantasized about roaming the streets of Tel Aviv in disguise.
"I\’d love to sit at a cafe and just hangout, wear a mustache, wander through Tel Aviv, meet with students at a university in an informal setting."