U.S. President Barack Obama said a negotiated deal and not military action is the way to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, in an interview on Israeli television.
"I can, I think, demonstrate, not based on any hope but on facts and evidence and analysis, that the best way to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon is a verifiable tough agreement," he told Israeli Channel 2, a private station.
"A military solution will not fix it, even if the United States participates. It would temporarily slow down an Iranian nuclear program, but it will not eliminate it," Obama said.
Obama declined to "speculate" on the possibility that Israel might attack Iran's nuclear facilities if it doesn't approve of any deal with Tehran -- an option many Israelis support.
"What I can say to the Israeli people is, I understand your concerns and I understand your fears," he said.