US rebuffs Israel, says red line on Iran 'not useful'

September 11, 2012 01:07

The United States today rebuffed a bid by Israel to convince it to declare "red lines" that Iran must not cross if it is to avoid international action over its nuclear programme. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters that, while US President Barack Obama "has said unequivocally he will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon," the idea of deadlines or red lines was "not useful."

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said his country was talking with Washington about laying down a clear threshold for action over Iran over its nuclear program. "Iran will not stop unless it sees clear determination by the democratic countries of the world, and a clear red line," Netanyahu told Canadian public broadcaster CBC.

But the State Department distanced Washington from the Israeli stance, which would be seen by many as locking the United States and Iran into a logic of confrontation that could quickly escalate into military action. "The American people know that the president has said unequivocally he will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon," Nuland said.

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