Israel on Saturday downplayed apparent differences with the United States over estimates of the amount of time it could take Iran to manufacture a nuclear bomb.

US President Barack Obama had told the Associated Press that Iran was "a year or more away" from getting a nuclear bomb, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned that Iran could jump across an Israeli red line within "weeks."

But Israeli officials said Saturday that Netanyahu was not referring to the time it would take Iran to manufacture an atomic bomb, but how long it would take to complete the necessary uranium enrichment for one.

"If Iran decides to complete enriching the uranium, it could do so within weeks of its decision," an official said on condition of anonymity.