Israel is in disagreement with the US over a potential military strike to thwart Iran's purported progress towards a possible nuclear weapon. This comes as the visiting US defense chief urged patience.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left, and his Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak meet at a Jerusalem hotel Monday, July 27, 2009. [Jack Guez, Pool/CCTV/AP Photo]

In Jerusalem on Monday, the Israeli Defense Minister's no-options-off-the-table comment seemed to indicate the US defense chief made no visible headway in getting Israel to soften its line.

Ehud Barak, Israeli Defense Minister, said, "We clearly believe that no option should be removed from the table. This is our policy. We mean it."

The US Defense Minister called for patience, saying Washington still hopes to have an initial answer about negotiations in the Autumn.

Robert Gates, US Defense Minister, said, "We are also agreed that it is important to take every opportunity to try and persuade the Iranians to reconsider what is actually in their own security interest. And we are in the process of doing that, both in the terms of the President's offer to engage with the Iranians, but also through sanctions to impose costs on them for pursuing that."

Israel fears the US is prizing outreach to Iran over its historic ties to Israel. And it also fears the US is resigned to the idea that Iran will soon be able to build a nuclear weapon. But Washington denies this.

And the US argues that a preemptive attack on Iran's known nuclear sites would upset the fragile security balance in the Middle East.

Washington also argues that such a strike could trigger a new nuclear arms race leaving everyone, including Israel and Iran,worse off.

(CCTV July 28, 2009)