Romney, Santorum vow to fight Iran's nuclear ambitions

Republican presidential hopefuls take a break from Super Tuesday, address AIPAC. Both reiterate strong ties to Israel; need to curb Iran's atom work

Yitzhak Benhorin|Published: 03.06.12 , 17:11

WASHINGTON – Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney spoke before AIPAC's Washington conference, reiterating the United States' bond with Israel and Washington's commitment to its security.

Focusing on Iran, Romney vowed that he will make the Islamic Republic "well aware of the vast difficulties" it will encounter if it continues with its nuclear program.

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Like US President Barack Obama, Romney said that should he be elected president he too would not hesitate to use force to stop Iran.

"Israel must know that the United States will stand by its side," he said.

A nuclear Iran, he added, will endanger the entire world. Iran "is waging war against the US," he said, further dismissing Obama's insistence to pursue a diplomatic solution, saying 'hope is not foreign policy."

Romney also said that he will never "make" Israel go back to the 1967 lines, "Because I understand that for Israel geography is security."

Romney's GOP rival Rick Santorum also spoke before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, saying that the United States should insist that Iran abandon its nuclear program.

"If they do not tear down those facilities, we will tear them down ourselves," Santorum said.

"This is not bellicosity and warmongering… This is preventing the most radical regime in the world from having a weapon that could fundamentally change the security posture of all freedom-loving people in the world."