Monday, May 22 2006 09:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Iran is only a few months away from acquiring the technological know-how for making a nuclear bomb, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said.

"The issue of Iran is a very serious one. And the question is not when, technically, they will be in possession of nuclear bomb. The question is when will they cross the technological line that will allow them at any given time, within six or eight months, to have nuclear bomb?," Olmert said to sources.

But, the Israeli leader did not comment on whether the Jewish state was willing to act unilaterally on Iran as it did with Iraq in 1981 but said that 'responsible' nations like the US and Europe would have to take 'necessary measures' to prevent Iran from going the nuclear route.

"This technological threshold is nearer than we anticipated before. This is because they are already engaged very seriously in enrichment.We are close enough to the possible possession of a nuclear weapon by the most extreme fundamentalist government," he alleged.

"It can be measured by months rather than years." Olmert will be meeting US President George W Bush in Washington tomorrow (May 23, 2006) and is expected to discuss issues including the controversial Iranian nuclear programme and Palestinian issue.

"I think you hear too much on this particular one. What you can say is that I hope diplomacy will not fail and I hope that the responsible forces will take the necessary measures," he said.