"We have eyes onto the Iranian nuclear program and we would be aware of any so-called breakout move by the Iranians towards building a nuclear weapon.
"That has not occurred, but that window of opportunity will close at some point," the White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, told reporters at his daily news conference.
"Iran needs to take seriously its responsibilities and to forego and forsake its nuclear weapons ambitions," Carney said responding to questions on Iranian nuclear ambition.
The US President has made it clear that he is committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, he said.
"We are completely in sync with Israel on that matter. There is no daylight between the United States and Israel when it comes to the absolute commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," he added.
The United States, he said is pursuing a policy that includes incredibly intense punitive sanctions, unprecedented in history against Iran, of sanctions that are in place as a result of diplomatic work that has created an international consensus that did not exist prior to Obama taking office and that has resulted, again, in unprecedented pressure and isolation for the regime in Tehran.
"There is still time and space for that course to be pursued, because the best way to ensure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, does not acquire a nuclear weapon is to force and compel Iran to make the decision that it needs to forego its nuclear weapons ambitions, get right with the world, abide by its international obligations under the United Nations, and rejoin the community of nations by doing so," Carney said.
It is also the case that Obama has made absolutely clear that he does not remove any option from the table in terms of fulfilling his commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
"And we've also made clear that the window of opportunity here in terms of pursuing the diplomatic course will not remain open indefinitely," the White House Press Secretary said.
(Times Of India)
