In a television interview, Obama also said he did not believe Tehran had the "intentions or capabilities" to attack the United States, playing down the threats from Tehran and saying he wanted a diplomatic end to the nuclear standoff."Any kind of additional military activity inside the Gulf is disruptive and has a big effect on us. It could have a big effect on oil prices. We've still got troops in Afghanistan, which borders Iran. And so our preferred solution here is diplomatic," Obama said.His comments echoed concerns expressed by earlier by Iran's neighbor Turkey that an attack on Iran would be disastrous."My number one priority continues to be the security of the United States, but also the security of Israel, and we are going to make sure that we work in lockstep as we proceed to try to solve this, hopefully diplomatically," he told NBC.Responding to Obama's comments, former IDF chief of General Staff Dan Halutz said that while Israel should do everything to avoid any clash with its "only long-term ally (the United States)," when it comes to issues critical to Israel, Jerusalem need not sacrifice its interests for Washington.With that in mind, Halutz said, Israel is waiting to see the effectiveness of international sanctions against Iran without taking any options off the table.
Obama: Jerusalem undecided on Iran attack
US president says Jewish state "rightly" concerned about Tehran's plans; Dan Halutz slams public discourse on Iran.
