WASHINGTON -- The White House hosted a senior Israeli delegation on Monday to discuss Syria and Iran as the Obama administration is mulling over possible military strikes on Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons in internal conflict.
Susan Rice, President Barack Obama's national security advisor, met with retired Israeli major general Yaakov Amidror, the national security advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
They discussed Iran, Egypt, Syria and "a range of other regional security issues," U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement.
The conflict in Syria, which started in March 2011, came to the fore following allegations of chemical weapons use in suburbs of Damascus, capital of Syria, on Aug. 21, in which as many as 1,300 people were reportedly killed.
The Syrian government denied the allegations and blamed instead the opposition forces for the attack.
Obama has called leaders of Britain, France and Australia in the past few days over Syria.
"The president and his team are evaluating options with regards to responses to this specific violation of an international norm - the prohibited use of chemical weapons against civilian populations," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.
Carney said a military response is among the options under consideration. The U.S. Navy now has four warships armed with cruse missiles in the Mediterranean.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement on Monday afternoon, saying that the chemical weapons use against civilians in Syria is "inexcusable" and "undeniable," and that Obama will make an "informed" decision on how to respond.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday warned the Western powers against military strikes on Syria, calling the move "a very dangerous and slippery path."
