Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was in Washington on Wednesday for his first visit since taking office two months ago. In a speech to a joint session of Congress, Olmert addressed the international standoff over Iran’s nuclear activities.

• Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: “A nuclear Iran means a terrorist state could achieve the primary mission for which terrorists live and die: the mass destruction of innocent human life. This challenge, which I believe is The Test of Our Time, is one the West cannot afford to fail.”