US President Barack Obama Sunday pledged that his country would not tolerate development of a nuclear weapon in Iran, but warned that increasing warlike rhetoric was pushing up the price of oil and, thus, helping Iran finance its nuclear programme, dpa reported.
"I have said that when it comes to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, I will take no options off the table ... I will not hesitate to use force when it comes to defending the United States and its interests," Obama told an American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) gathering in Washington.
But he pleaded for continuing support of the US-led diplomatic and economic efforts to isolate Iran and bring its economy to its knees, at a time when the United States "assesses" that Iran does not yet have a nuclear weapons.
"Already there is too much loose talk of war ... For the last few weeks, such talk has only benefited the Iranian government by driving up the price of oil, which they depend on to fund their nuclear programme."