President Barack Obama talked with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call Tuesday night about the threat posed by Iran 's nuclear program , according to a White House statement . Obama placed the call to Netanyahu , a senior administration official told CNN . The one-paragraph statement from the White House , which referred to the Obama-Netanyahu discussion as `` a part of their ongoing consultations , '' followed reports earlier in the day that the White House had rejected a request by Netanyahu to meet with Obama this month to discuss Iran 's nuclear program . CNN 's Wolf Blitzer , citing Israeli sources , reported that the Israelis were told Obama 's schedule would not permit a meeting even though Israel offered to have Netanyahu travel to Washington . Obama and Netanyahu are both due to address the United Nations in New York in late September but not at the same time . The Obama administration pushed back later Tuesday . `` Contrary to reports in the press , there was never a request for Prime Minister Netanyahu to meet with President Obama in Washington , nor was a request for a meeting ever denied , '' the White House said Tuesday night in its statement , which made reference to `` our close cooperation on Iran and other security issues . '' Netanyahu has shown growing impatience with what he says is a lack of clarity by the Obama administration on articulating so-called `` red lines '' that Iran can not cross if it wants to avoid war over its nuclear ambitions . The administration has resisted pressure to take that step . U.S. intelligence officials have said they do not believe Iran has decided to develop a nuclear weapon , even as evidence continues to mount that they are improving their ability to do so . Iran said its intentions are peaceful . Atomic enrichment in and of itself is not the red line , a U.S. official told CNN . But Israel feels a sense of urgency with negotiations aimed at curbing Iran 's nuclear ambitions failing to produce an agreement and sanctions falling short of their intended effect . Concerns in Washington that Israel could launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran 's nuclear facilities prompted a wave of visits this summer to Israel by several top Obama administration officials . Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that he is confident the United States is capable of monitoring Iran and can strike militarily , if necessary . `` We have pretty good intelligence on them , we keep a close track on them , '' Panetta told CBS ' `` This Morning '' in an interview aired on Tuesday . `` We think we 've got the ability to be able to strike at them effectively if we have to ... whenever we have to , we have the forces in place , '' he said . The U.S. official , who spoke anonymously in order to freely discuss the sensitive issue , said Panetta is `` frustrated '' by the partial impact of sanctions , saying he has not seen `` the kind of response '' that would have been expected from the Iranian regime , given that the sanctions have been tightened . The United States has sanctioned Iranian banks , companies and individuals as part of an effort by western powers to pressure the Tehran government . Netanyahu also said sanctions were only having a partial impact . `` The sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy , but they have n't stopped the Iranian nuclear program . That 's a fact , '' Netanyahu said on Tuesday at a news conference in Jerusalem .
Two leaders talk by phone about Iran nuclear program . Earlier reports said White House rejected in-person meeting . Obama administration says that is not the case .