Visiting Democratic Sen. John Kerry told President Shimon Peres Tuesday preventing a nuclear-armed Iran is part of American efforts “to keep the world free from terror.”

The senator, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told the President, “If I can just say to you and to the people of Israel: I hope there is no doubt about President Obama’s seriousness and commitment that Iran should not have and cannot have A nuclear weapon. The President has made it clear that he is not talking about containment he is talking about prevention.”

He added that stopping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a shared American-Israeli strategy, even when sanctions are in force and negotiations take place.

“The government of the United States understand the dangers for Israel” of a nuclear Iran, he added.

President Peres told Sen. Kerry, “We must continue to work together with a common front with world leaders to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran is a threat to world peace and not just to Israel. I believe the president of the United States is serious and will uphold his commitment to prevent a nuclear Iran. I rely on his leadership.”

 The two leaders also talked about the “peace process” which both the Obama administration and President Peres still promote. Peres said that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “gave an encouraging speech in which he said that neither side has any privileges to wait until after elections because neither side can dictate the realities and developments in our region.”