WarSclerotic

US Presidential candidate Mitt Romney commented in Boston on Friday that America is responsible for preventing the “genocidal regime” of Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Reacting to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent remarks calling Israel’s existence “a threat to humanity”, Romney recalled his visit to Jerusalem in July, claiming: “We have seen the horrors of history. We will not stand by. We will not watch them play out again.”

He reiterated”Ahmadinejad’s latest outrageous remarks are just another reminder of what is at stake.”

Romney has called Israel’s security a “vital national interest” of the US. He has emphasized that President Obama’s administration has “badly misunderstood the dynamics of the region, diminishing US authority and painting both Israel and [the US] into a corner.”

In a statement, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida), chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Ahmadinejad’s “incendiary” comments were just another warning that “a fuse is burning”.

She highlighted the failure of the Obama administration in dealing with rogue regimes, remarking: “I have many serious concerns about this administration’s Iran policy. Obama’s approach seems to be based on a complete misreading of the intentions of the ayatollahs.”

“By wasting precious time, his policies have placed the security of the state of Israel in jeopardy. It’s past time for a change in leadership in the White House,” she said.

Congressman Paul Ryan, Romney’s running mate, also referred to Iran at an election rally in Virginia, saying a Republican administration will pull out all the stops in order to protect America’s allies across the world.

“Under President Romney our adversaries will think twice about challenging America and our allies because we believe in peace through strength.”

Comments from the Republican campaign come in response to increasing discussions on the Iranian threat within Israel and the international community.

President Shimon Peres recently confirmed the importance of US support in any possible action against Iran, saying that the world realized the danger posed by a nuclear Iran, and that Israel was not in this battle alone.

Asked whether he was convinced that US President Barack Obama would take action to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons, Peres replied, “I am convinced that this is an American interest, and I am sure that he sees the American interest and he isn’t saying this just to keep us happy. I have no doubt about it, after having had talks with him.”

Peres said that it was “clear to us that we can’t do it alone. We can delay. It’s clear to us we have to proceed together with America. There are questions about coordination and timing, but as serious as the danger is, this time at least we are not alone.”

Peres also dismissed the notion that Israel had to take action before the November 6 US elections, as many have speculated. “I don’t think they will do it before the elections,” he said.

Herb Keinon contributed to this report.