Jerusalem, Jul 30 (IANS): US presidential candidate Mitt Romney, currently on a visit to Israel, emphasized that America has "a solemn duty and a moral imperative" to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weaponry.

Romney, in a speech in Jerusalem Sunday, also talked about "shared values" between Israel and the US, Xinhua reported.

"Make no mistake, the ayatollahs in Iran are testing our moral defences. They want to know who will object and who will look the other way," Romney said.

"We will not look away nor will our country ever look away from our passion and commitment to Israel," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed with Romney's speech about Iran.

"I heard what you (Romney) said about the dangers the world is facing if the ayatollah regime obtains nuclear power capabilities and I fully agree with you," Netanyahu told the US presidential hopeful.

"We have to do everything to prevent them to possess this capability. The diplomacy and the sanctions haven't set back the Iranian programme back by one iota," he said.