Romney: I share Netanyahu's red line on Iran

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said on Tuesday that he supports the same red line that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for on Iran's nuclear program.

"My own test is that Iran should not have the capability of producing a nuclear weapon," Romney told CNN. "I think that's the same test that Benjamin Netanyahu would also apply."

Romney also said that any potential U.S. military action against Iran is not an imminent scenario.

"Let's also recognize that we have a long way to go before military action may be necessary," Romney said. "And hopefully it's never necessary."

"Hopefully, through extremely tight sanctions, as well as diplomatic action, we can prevent Iran from taking a course which would lead them to crossing that line," he said.

Romney said there was "great hope and real prospects for dissuading Iran" from the path to nuclear weapons. He said, however, that such a scenario would require "real strength on the part of America ... And it's also going to require us showing no daylight between ourselves and Israel," he said.

Romney also said he would expect forewarning of any possible Israeli military action against Iran.

"We have Israel's back, both at the U.N. but also militarily," Romney told CNN. "I would anticipate that if I'm president, the actions of Israel would not come as a surprise to me."

Romney said he would travel to Israel and meet with Netanyahu as part of his first overseas trip as president.

On Monday, Romney delivered a sweeping critique of U.S. President Barack Obama's handling of threats in the Middle East and attacked Obama's attitude toward Israel.

"The relationship between the president of the United States and the prime minister of Israel, for example, our closest ally in the region, has suffered great strains," Romney said in his speech at the Virginia Military Institute.

"The president explicitly stated that his goal was to put 'daylight' between the United States and Israel, and he’s succeeded. This is a dangerous situation that has set back the hope of peace in the Middle East and emboldened our mutual adversaries, especially Iran."

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