“Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal,” Obama said.

“The [Tehran] regime is more isolated than ever before; its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent,” he added.

At the same time, the U.S. president reiterated that a peaceful way of resolving the Iran nuclear issue remained a priority.

“A peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations,” Obama said.

Western nations suspect Iran, which is already under four sets of UN Security Council sanctions, of pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program but Tehran insists it needs nuclear power solely for civilian purposes.

Tensions over Iran's nuclear activities have reached a boiling point since the Islamic Republic has announced that it had launched a nuclear enrichment program at a well-protected underground facility near the city of Qom.

Tehran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway where an estimated 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil passes, in response to a Western embargo on Iranian oil imports.