Panetta: We Can Hit Iran Harder Than Israel

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the National Journal on Thursday: "If they (Israel) decided to do it, there's no question that it would have an impact, but I think it's also clear that if the United States did it, we would have a hell of a bigger impact."

President Obama and US officials have been reiterating since the president's White House meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu that the military option is still on the table, even as the US is pursuing diplomatic negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.

Asked by the NJ if the Pentagon was planning for strikes on Iran, Panetta didn’t hesitate and answered: "Absolutely."