U.S., Israel coordinated on steps against Iran: envoy

By Ori Lewis

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States and Israel are coordinated on steps being taken to combat Iran's perceived nuclear threat and the two allies have been planning to ensure "all other options" are available, the U.S. ambassador to Israel said on Thursday.

Ambassador Dan Shapiro said both countries were hoping the economic sanctions in place would persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, and they were having a "significant effect" but had not yet achieved their goal.

"It is clear that Iran is under significant economic strain ... (but the sanctions have) not yet achieved the goal, which is to get that nuclear program stopped ... for both us and for Israel this is the preferred strategy, to achieve that all-important objective," he told U.S.-Jewish community leaders.

Shapiro added: "It's also true, as the president has said ... we are coordinated with our Israeli partners ... that other options, all other options, are on the table to achieve that goal ... the necessary planning has been done to ensure that those options are actually available if at any time they become necessary."

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, although a U.N. nuclear watchdog mission ended in failure this week when the Islamic Republic denied officials permission to visit a site suspected of housing a facility to test explosives.

COORDINATION

The failure of the visit by the officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency could hamper any resumption of wider nuclear negotiations between Iran and six world powers - the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.