Dear Obama: Oppose Iran and We'll Love You

For a while, inaction may be the best course

(NEWSER) - From Iran to Venezuela, President-elect Obama's best foreign policy option is to lie low for now, John Barry writes in Newsweek. Sudden forays into tricky hotspots—think Bay of Pigs, or President Bush's North Korea missteps—can prove costly, and most of the world's problems need a breather anyway. In Iraq and Israel, for example, no headway can be expected until next year's elections. More»

Iran tensions dominate talks

(NEWSER) - President Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu tried to project an image of unity today as the president welcomed his Israeli counterpart to the Oval Office. Speaking to reporters before their closed-door meeting, Obama said, "The United States will always have Israel's back," echoing his AIPAC speech. Netanyahu, meanwhile, thanked the president for recognizing that "Israel has the sovereign right to make its own decisions." According to the New York Times , Israeli officials interpreted Obama's remarks to mean that the US won't block an Israeli preemptive strike . More»

It may anger neocons, but he should keep his hands clean: Stephens

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama and his team clearly want to support the Iranian opposition, writes Philip Stephens, and Republicans such as John McCain have hammered the president for not condemning an election viewed as a sham. But for the Financial Times columnist, Obama is striking a shrewd balance between idealism and real-world politics. Obama knows, he writes, that "overt US backing for Mousavi would hand a weapon to Ahmadinejad." More»

(NEWSER) - Publicly there will be few fireworks when Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu meet today. But here are the issues the vastly different leaders will wrestle with behind closed doors:

• The Two-State Solution: It’s the overwhelming international consensus, but Netanyahu insists it would compromise Israel’s security.
• Iran’s Clock: Obama wants a longer timetable for diplomacy with Iran; Israel wants quick action.
• Gaza: Obama wants the blockade lifted so aid can get in; Netanyahu wants to choke Hamas.

Iran responds with threat; Tel Aviv worries about US backing

(NEWSER) - Israel has 12 months to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons or risk Tehran’s wrath, a former Israeli defense official said. “The time that is left to be ready is getting shorter all the time,” Shabtai Shavit told the Telegraph. “We should do whatever (is) necessary in case sanctions don’t work. What’s left is military action.” More»