US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would respect an Israeli decision to use military force to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, one of his aides has said.
Mr Romney, who is in Jerusalem, is expected to pledge closer ties between the US and Israel if he is elected.
US President Barack Obama has focused on using sanctions to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions.
The first leg of Mr Romney's trip, in London, was marred by controversy.
After talking of "disconcerting" signs in London's preparations for the Olympic Games, Mr Romney backtracked and predicted a "very successful" Olympics.
On Sunday morning Mr Romney held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a personal friend, and President Shimon Peres.
He told Mr Peres he shared Israel's concern about the development of Iran's nuclear capabilities, saying: "The threat it would pose to Israel, the region and the world is incomparable and unacceptable."
Mr Romney will give a speech later on Sunday near Jerusalem's Old City in which he is expected to say it is "unacceptable" for Iran to have the "capacity" to develop nuclear weapons.
"If Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing the capability, the governor (Mr Romney) would respect that decision," his foreign policy adviser Dan Senor told reporters ahead of the speech.
After his meetings with Israeli officials, he went to Jerusalem's Western Wall, one of Judaism's holy sites.
Mr Romney will be hoping that burnishing his pro-Israel credentials will help him among key constituencies in a tight race with Mr Obama, analysts say.
Mr Romney says Mr Obama has undermined Israel and supported its enemies.
The Republican presidential hopeful is also scheduled to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, though not Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
'Islamist winter' fears
While not explicitly ruling out military intervention, President Barack Obama's policy has emphasised non-military means of putting pressure on Iran.
The BBC's North America editor Mark Mardell says Mr Romney is highly critical of the international talks taking place which might lead to Iran being allowed to enrich some uranium. Mr Romney wants zero enrichment.
In his speech on foreign policy, Mr Romney will say he hopes the military option on Iran can be avoided but that it should not be taken off the table.
Mr Romney says this is the best chance of focusing the minds of Iranian leaders on finding a peaceful solution.
A source in Mr Romney's campaign said he also agreed with those who worried the Arab spring could turn into an "Islamist winter", our correspondent says.
This article was accompanied by one of the most staggering quotations that you could ever hope to read:
Mark Mardell - North America editor
It may not convert any new voters but this election is all about firing up likely supporters, exciting them and making sure they turn out to vote.
What could be more exciting than a potential conflict between major nuclear powers and the soon-to-be most powerful, dominant superpower the world has ever seen?! If that doesn't your juices flowing, nothing will!
With just 100 days to go in the US Presidential election, the man who wants to replace President Obama is campaigning - in Israel.
What is he up to, when everyone knows this election is all about the economy back in the US?
There'll be talk of courting the Jewish vote, and there is something in that. And Israel looms large in the concerns of Christian evangelicals too.
But this is about coming over as harder and tougher than President Obama on the world stage.
It may not convert any new voters but this election is all about firing up likely supporters, exciting them and making sure they turn out to vote.
Mitt Romney has taken a new, tougher line on Iran. He has said that he would "respect" Israel if they launched an attack on Iran to stop it becoming a nuclear power.
Some, including the Associated Press, interpret that as "backing" Israel. I don't agree but there is a lot of debate in the press pack about what it does mean.
After all, an American president couldn't just say he "respected" the decision to attack - he'd have to decide how much or how little that would mean in terms of military support. Team Romney promise to clarify, but haven't yet done so.
But his intent is clear. He'll tell an audience "Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons capability presents an intolerable threat to Israel, to America, and to the world."
His advisors stress that word "capability". Some would draw the line at Iran having the weapons. He would draw it a lot sooner.
That means he is scornful about the talks currently going on which would allow Iran to enrich some uranium.
He is "highly sceptical" that it really wants peaceful nuclear power. He says there must be zero enrichment.
But advisors are also keen to stress he is not a warmonger. Advisers say he thinks the military option should be kept on the table, but avoided if possible.
However, they say Mr Romney thinks that the only thing that will convince Iran's leaders to give up the pursuit of weapons is the belief that the alternative is far worse.
We still don't know how far President Romney would go down the road to support that worse alternative.
This is unbelievable bollocks, but you can hear to what extent this is bollocks here:
More on the history of Anglo-American intervention in Iran here:
The good old BBC have already updated on this story. I just can't keep up with their high-class reportage:
Romney: US has moral duty to block Iran nuclear plans
US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said his country has a "moral imperative" to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Mr Romney, speaking during a visit to Jerusalem, said Iran was the most destabilising country in the world.
He said the US recognised Israel's right to defend itself and that it was right for the US to stand with Israel.
US President Barack Obama has focused on using sanctions to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions.
In his speech in front of Jerusalem's Old City, Mr Romney said Iran's leading ayatollahs were "testing our moral defences".
"They want to know who will object and who will look the other way. We will not look away nor will our country ever look away from our passion and commitment to Israel."
He said Iran was "the most destabilising nation in the world" and that the US had "a solemn duty and a moral imperative to deny Iran's leaders the means to follow through on their malevolent intentions".
The true measure of a man is not his intelligence or how high he rises in this freak establishment. The true measure of a man is this: how quickly he can respond to the needs of others and how much of himself he can give - Philip K. Dick.
We’re going to be able to lock in that funding to assure that that program continues and that we are standing by our friends in Israel when it comes to these kinds of attacks,” Obama told reporters in the Oval Office today.
As he reiterated his administration’s commitment to Israel, the president flubbed the amount of new aid, initially giving the correct $70 million figure and later saying it was actually $70 billion.
"I am a Real American, fight for the rights of everyman" (Hulk Hogan theme song)
The creation of Israel was a master stroke by the Military industrial complex IMHO,for members of the Military industrial complex.
Dog wag tail or tail wag dog,don't be fooled
Where's the best place to announce your vice-president running mate? On board a battleship, of course:
The true measure of a man is not his intelligence or how high he rises in this freak establishment. The true measure of a man is this: how quickly he can respond to the needs of others and how much of himself he can give - Philip K. Dick.
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Re: Romney backs Israel over Iran nuclear concerns
11 Aug 2012 16:10 #7
"A man who's integrity is unquestioned".......................well heh Mitt, yours certainly isn't now is it
The impression among Whitehall staff during Mitt Romney's recent visit to the UK was that he was "worse than Sarah Palin". So if Romney gets in, the question is who will be his "minder"? Dubya had Cheney, Obama has Brzezinski, who is pulling Romney's strings?
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