Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has warned his country has the right to defend iteself against Iran.

He told pro-Israel delegates at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, that a nuclear-armed Iran must be stopped.

He said Israel had waited patiently for diplomacy and sanctions to work, however, it could not wait much longer.

On Monday, US President Barack Obama had appealed for restraint.

Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports from Washington, DC.