July 29 (Bloomberg) -- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said options including a military strike are still open to his government in dealing with the threat from Iran's nuclear program.

``I told the senior people I met here that Iran is a major threat to the stability of the whole world,'' Barak told reporters after meeting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the State Department today in Washington for two hours.

Barak, a former Israeli prime minister, said sanctions on Iran needed to be ``accelerated'' and ``ultimately no option can be removed from the table.''

Face-to-face talks between the U.S. and Israel on Iran have intensified in recent days. Last week, Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel's top military commander, met with Vice President Dick Cheney and Pentagon officials and said that while diplomacy must be the priority, all choices must be prepared.

Barak met yesterday with Cheney and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Today he meets with Stephen Hadley, President George W. Bush's national security adviser.

Tomorrow, Rice will broker three-way talks on an Israeli- Palestinian peace settlement with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia in Washington. And later this week, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz visits Washington to take part in a security dialogue with his U.S. counterparts.

Alert System

After meeting with Rice, Barak flagged possible progress on a major Israeli request in that dialogue: for Israel to be integrated into an American early-warning system to help alert it to the firing of long-range missiles in the region. Iran test-fired such a missile earlier this month.

``I think it's better to let the discussions progress,'' Rice said today, when asked about possible new coordination with Israel on early-warning and other security matters. ``Obviously, we're concerned about the security of Israel and its ability to defend itself against new threats, so those discussions are going on.''

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told NBC News yesterday that Iran isn't developing nuclear weapons.

``We are not working to manufacture a bomb,'' Ahmadinejad said in an interview on NBC yesterday.

The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the U.S., Britain, China, France and Russia -- along with Germany are awaiting an Iranian response to a package of economic and technology incentives they have offered to persuade Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.

Rice said meanwhile, ``We continue to move along in strengthening our ability to designate Iranian entities'' as candidates for sanctions.

To contact the reporter on this story: Janine Zacharia in Washington at jzacharia@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 29, 2008 16:37 EDT