Defense minister says a nuclear Iran would "change the landscape", Jerusalem Post reported.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the world cannot afford to wait too long to see if Iran backs down on its nuclear program while in Washington on Tuesday.
In a news conference with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Barak said he supports the US focus on tougher economic sanctions against Teheran, but he added that only time will tell to what extent sanctions are effective in persuading Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.
Barak says that if the international community waits too long, Iran could acquire a nuclear weapon that he says would "change the landscape," and not just of the Middle East.