A few days after Mitt Romney's disastrous Israel visit, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Tel Aviv to discuss Iran's nuclear ambitions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Though Panetta, in line with the current administration's policies and his previous statements, did not rule out an attack, he spoke cautiously about how the United States would proceed.
“We have to exhaust every option, every effort before we resort to military action and that’s important,” he said during a visit to an anti-missile battery in southern Israel. “[I]f they continue and make the decision to proceed with a nuclear weapon, we have options we are prepared to implement to ensure that does not happen,” he added.
Netanyahu was less diplomatic. Before Panetta arrived, he explained his position regarding a possible attack on Iran, and their reliance on U.S. assistance.
"Things that affect our fate, our very existence, we don't entrust to others – not even to our best friends."
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