US President Barack Obama on Tuesday criticized the Republicans hoping to unseat him as too quick to take military action against Iran over its nuclear programme, DPA reported.
"When I see the casualness with which some of these folks talk about war, I'm reminded of the costs involved in war. I'm reminded that - the decision that I have to make in terms of sending our young men and women into battle and the impact that has on their lives, the impact it has on our national security, the impact it has on our economy," he said in a press conference at the White House.
"This is not a game. And there's nothing casual about it."
The remarks were clearly aimed at Republican presidential hopefuls, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, who had spoken earlier in the day at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee about the harsh position they would take against Iran.