Lieberman: Iran statements 'harmful'

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday public statements on Iran are "unnecessary and harmful." Lieberman's comments, reported by Haaretz, come amid heightened concerns Iran is attempting to develop a nuclear weapon and recent discussion of a possible strike on Iran by Israel. "Public comments on Iran are unnecessary and harmful," Lieberman said at a Jerusalem meeting with members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. "The discussions and decisions on Iran must be left for the appropriate forums," Lieberman said. Earlier Thursday, Haaretz reported Israeli President Shimon Peres was expected to tell U.S. President Barack Obama in early March he doesn't believe Israel should attack Iran anytime soon. But Peres, speaking at the Jerusalem meeting Thursday afternoon, said he had not revealed what he plans to say to U.S. leaders, The Jerusalem Post reported. Peres and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu are to have separate meetings with Obama. At Thursday's meeting, Peres again called Iran not only Israel's but the world's greatest danger and said Israel "is a sovereign state that has the right and the capacity to defend itself against any threat."