Ehud Olmert

Israeli officials say Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has stated he will not rule out any options to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The officials quote Mr. Olmert as telling a parliamentary committee Monday that he considers any option to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear capabilities to be "legitimate."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for wiping the Jewish state off the map.

Israel accuses Iran of actively pursuing nuclear weapons, disputing a recent U.S. intelligence report that says Tehran suspended such a program in 2003.

President Bush said on a visit to Israel last week that Iran remains a threat because it continues to pursue the knowledge needed to make nuclear weapons. Iran insists that its nuclear work is peaceful.

U.S. and Israeli officials say they prefer to resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute diplomatically.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.