A two-hour Oval Office meeting Monday between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu has set the stage for what will likely be one of the most important foreign policy decisions in the next year – whether or not to militarily strike Iran to remove its nuclear weapon capability.

Obama wants more time to give diplomacy, economic sanctions and international pressure a chance to convince Iran to stop their nuclear program. Israel has only a small window of opportunity at which it can strike Iran by itself. Since only the United States has "bunker buster" bombs, once Iran's nuclear facilities have been buried under ground Israel would have to rely upon the United States to come to its defense if Iran were to try to build a nuclear weapon. Whether or not Israel strikes Iran, therefore, depends mostly on the degree to which Netanyahu trusts Obama.

At a press conference after their meeting, Obama emphasized finding a diplomatic solution while Netanyahu emphasized Israel's right to defend itself. more >>

NEW YORK – The Middle East crisis is gripping the world's attention now more than ever with the growing Iranian nuclear threat and possibility of attacks on Israel. One upcoming conference will seek to address not only how believers should prepare for prophetic events associated with the crisis, but also how to reach the lost and lead them to Christ.

Israel, The Church and the Middle East Crisis conference takes place March 23-24, 2012, at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., and it is being organized by a Messianic Jewish organization called Chosen People Ministries.

The organization, founded in 1894, exists to pray for, evangelize, disciple, and serve Jewish people everywhere and to help fellow believers do the same. Chosen People Ministries serves in 13 countries across the globe and is involved in cooperative efforts between Jews and Christians to glorify Christ's message of peace. more >>

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, made a statement on Friday describing Israel as a "cancerous tumor" and declaring Iran's support for anyone who opposes the Jewish nation.

Khamenei also warned the U.S. about any attacks against Iran, saying that the country will continue its nuclear program regardless of international pressure and will only grow stronger, Mirror.co.uk shared.

His speech, which was aired in Iran on state TV, contained some notably hostile remarks against Israel. more >>

Many pundits view Ron Paul's candidacy as the most controversial among GOP voters. His brand of conservatism, highlighted by his return to the gold standard and protectionist ideas have attracted a throng of loyal followers but the one issue that concerns many is his stance on Israel and the Middle East.

Speaking on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, Paul tried to clear up the misconception that he would allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons.

"That would be my goal, too," Congressman Paul said addressing President Obama's comment that "nothing would be off the table" in dealing with Iran. "I don't want them to have a nuclear weapon, it's just the approach" in preventing Iran from going after nuclear weapons capability. more >>

In an effort to contain Iran's growing nuclear program, the European Union announced Monday its intent to implement an embargo on Iranian oil as well as increase trade restrictions. Meanwhile, experts say it is likely that Israel, threatened by such a nuclear program, may feel pressured to attack if the international community cannot keep the Iranian regime's nuclear aspirations in check. 

These new restrictions from the EU place an intensified amount of pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear productivity. The United States, the European Union and the United Nations have all expressed concern over Iran's secret nuclear program, which Iran claims is used for creating nuclear energy.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Department of the Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner released a statement Monday, supporting the E.U.'s decision to place an embargo on Iranian oil. more >>

Increasing boldness by extreme Islamists is one of six top religious news stories that the Institute on Religion & Democracy predicts will make major headlines in 2012.

The religious freedom advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., warns that proclamations such as those made by the terrorist group Boko Haram declaring that all Christians must leave Nigeria indicates more of the same for this year.

“Islamists globally are making more assertive demands against vulnerable religious minorities,” IRD officials stated in their “IRD Predicts Top Church News of 2012” report released Thursday. “Egypt's Coptic Christians may face rule by Islamic parties and accelerated attacks by emboldened militants.” more >>