Israeli PM: Iran close to nuclear capability

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has warned that Iran would be on the brink of nuclear weapons capability in six to seven months, adding new urgency to his demand that President Barack Obama set a clear “red line” for Tehran in what could deepen the worst US-Israeli rift in decades.

Taking his case to the US public, Netanyahu said in television interviews that by mid-2013, Iran would be 90% of the way towards enough enriched uranium for a bomb.

He urged the US to spell out limits that Tehran must not cross or else face military action — something Obama has refused to do.