A key congressional leader stressed the importance of stopping a nuclear-armed Iran Monday, May 7, saying a strong military option is critical to confronting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and ensuring Israel’s safety.

Speaking at a policy symposium of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) described close military cooperation between the United States and Israel as a key deterrent to Iran’s nuclear progress.

“Time is on Iran’s side. They know that. Time is not on Israel’s side. They know that,” Rogers, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said at JCPA’s annual plenum in Detroit. “A strong U.S. defensive posture is the greatest force for peace in the world.”

Leaders on both sides of the aisle have supported a credible military option as an important means of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. In March, President Barack Obama said that “when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, I will take no options off the table, and I mean what I say.”