White House: Still time for US policy on Iran to work

President Barack Obama's policy of using diplomacy and increased sanctions to curb Iran's nuclear program has time to work because Tehran has not "broken out" to pursue an atomic weapon, White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Wednesday. He became the latest US official to publicly say Iran has not made a decision to build a nuclear weapon, as the Obama administration tries to present a united message ahead of key meetings between US and Israeli leaders. The United States and its allies are concerned that Israel will decide to launch a strike on Iran's nuclear sites, which could lead to unpredictable consequences in the region. Obama is focused on a diplomatic approach of mobilizing the international community to pressure Iran through sanctions, Carney said. "We believe that there is time and space to continue to pursue that approach," he said. Carney also reiterated Obama's policy that the United States would "not take any option off the table in our effort to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Obama on March 5. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta discussed Iran during a meeting earlier on Wednesday. Carney said Obama would continue pursuing the diplomatic path on Iran. "We do have visibility into their programs and Iran has not broken out and started to pursue a weapon," Carney said. "So there is time and space to continue to pursue the policy that we have been pursuing since the president took office."