(CNN) -- President Barack Obama says he isn't bluffing when he says Iran shouldn't have a nuclear weapon, but he cautions against an Israeli strike against the Islamic republic. "At a time when there is not a lot of sympathy for Iran and its only real ally, (Syria) is on the ropes, do we want a distraction in which suddenly Iran can portray itself as a victim?" he said this week in an interview with the Atlantic. Obama, who is to meet Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said a permanent solution is necessary. "The only way historically that a country has ultimately decided not to get nuclear weapons without constant military intervention has been when they themselves take (nuclear weapons) off the table," Obama said. "That's what happened in Libya, that's what happened in South Africa."
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NEW: "This is a dangerous time, actually," says Middle East analyst
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The president is set to meet with Netanyahu
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"It's unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon," Obama says
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The risk of an Iranian weapon falling into terrorist hands is "profound," he says
"I think it's important to recognize, though, that the prime minister is also head of a modern state that is mindful of the profound costs of any military action, and in our consultations with the @placeholder government, I think they take those costs, and potential unintended consequences, very seriously," Obama said.