JERUSALEM (AP)  - President Barack Obama says it would currently "take over a year or so for Iran to actually develop a nuclear weapon.''

In a Thursday interview with Israel's Channel 2 TV ahead of his upcoming visit to the country, Obama says he doesn't want to "cut it too close'' and therefore all options remain on the table in countering the Iranian nuclear program.

The issue has been one of the most fraught between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel has repeatedly threatened to act militarily should Iran appear to be on the verge of obtaining a bomb, while the U.S. has pushed for more time to allow diplomacy and economic sanctions to run their course.

In the interview, aired Thursday, Obama says he still favors diplomacy over force.

*Pictured above is President Barack Obama.