29/10/2013 09:24
Obama, Netanyahu discuss Iran
US President Barack Obama spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Iran Monday, a day after the Israeli leader warned Tehran could convert uranium into weapons-grade material within weeks, AFP reported.
The White House said in a short statement that the leaders discussed Iran, Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and other key issues.
Secretary of State John Kerry later stressed diplomacy as the route to test.
Netanyahu warned on Sunday that Iran is capable of converting low-grade uranium to material suitable for use in a weapons program with weeks -- even as Washington pursues diplomatic efforts to ease the nuclear showdown.
"The important part stems from technological improvements which allow Iran to enrich uranium from 3.5 percent to 90 percent in a number of weeks," his office quoted him as saying at a cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu is demanding increased pressure on Iran and has expressed skepticism about a diplomatic opening pioneered by new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani which he has called a "charm offensive."
Iran is to hold a new round of talks on the issue with six world powers in Geneva on November 7-8. This follows a round this month that resumed long stalled negotiations.
Israel is demanding four conditions before international sanctions on Iran are eased: a halt to all uranium enrichment; the removal of all enriched uranium from its territory; the closure of an underground nuclear facility in Qom; and a halt to construction of a plutonium reactor.