Obama Warns against Premature Iran Strike, Says Assad Days 'Numbered'

U.S. President Barack Obama warned a premature attack on Iran would allow it to play the "victim" in the nuclear crisis, noting that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "days are numbered," in remarks published Friday days before he meets Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

In some of his toughest comments yet on Tehran's nuclear drive, Obama also warned Israel and Iran should take seriously possible U.S. action against Iranian nuclear facilities if sanctions fail to stop the country's atomic ambitions.

"I think that the Israeli government recognizes that, as president of the United States, I don't bluff," Obama told the Atlantic Monthly magazine.

"I also don't, as a matter of sound policy, go around advertising exactly what our intentions are. But I think both the Iranian and the Israeli governments recognize that when the United States says it is unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, we mean what we say."

Netanyahu arrived in Canada early Friday ahead of discussions Monday with Obama at the White House, and the Israeli leader this week said Iran's nuclear program will be "at the center of our talks."

Tehran insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only but Western nations suspect the Islamic republic is leading a covert program to develop a nuclear weapons capability and is not far from achieving its goal.

Netanyahu's government has maintained that all options remain on the table with regard to action on Iran, whose firebrand leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has questioned Israel's right to exist.

But Obama issued a blunt warning against any premature strike.

"At a time when there is not a lot of sympathy for Iran and its only real ally (Syria) is on the ropes, do we want a distraction in which suddenly Iran can portray itself as a victim?" Obama said.

Even if Israel were not a specific target of Iran's wrath, Obama said "it would still be a profound national-security interest of the United States to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon."

Obama said the U.S. strategy to thwart Iran's ambitions of developing a nuclear weapon included various components, including isolating Tehran politically, sanctions and diplomacy.

"And it includes a military component. And I think people understand that," Obama said, adding he thought Americans did not believe that "I hesitate to make decisions as commander in chief when necessary."

He also spoke of the "profound" risks of an Iranian nuclear weapon falling into "terrorists' hands," and warned of "the prospect of a nuclear arms race in the most volatile region in the world, one that is rife with unstable governments and sectarian tensions.

"And it would also provide Iran the additional capability to sponsor and protect its proxies in carrying out terrorist attacks because they are less fearful of retaliation," he said.

Turning to Syria, Obama said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "days are numbered," adding Washington was working to accelerate the transition to democracy there.

"It is our estimation that (Assad's) days are numbered. It's a matter not of if but when."

"Now, can we accelerate that? We're working with the world community to try to do that," he said.

Obama acknowledged that Syria is bigger, more sophisticated and more complicated than Libya, and that countries like Russia are blocking U.N. action.

However, he pointed to U.S. efforts through the "Friends of Syria" group to promote humanitarian relief to cities under attack from Syrian forces.

"But they can also accelerate a transition to a peaceful and stable and representative Syrian government," he said. "If that happens, that will be a profound loss for Iran."

Experts in Israel say Netanyahu's discussions with Obama will be a chance for the allies to sound each other out on their sometimes divergent positions on Tehran's nuclear program.

Israeli President Shimon Peres told the New York Times Thursday that the United States must make it clear to Iran that "all options are on the table."

"We need a total and clear commitment that the catastrophe of Iran will not create an impossible situation," Peres said, acknowledging there was disagreement over where to draw the red line that would spark military action.

Obama, who addresses the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Sunday, admitted to differences with Netanyahu in the Atlantic interview, describing their relationship as one focused on business and noting they came from different political traditions.

"But one thing I have found in working with Prime Minister Netanyahu is that we can be very frank with each other, very blunt with each other, very honest with each other," he said.

"For the most part, when we have our differences, they are tactical and not strategic," he said. "We have a common vision about where we want to go."

"At any given moment -- as is true, frankly, with my relationship with every other foreign leader -- there's not going to be a perfect alignment of how we achieve these objectives," he said.