Mitt Romney to threaten war against Iran during trip to Israel as he tries to restore his foreign policy credentials after gaffe-prone London visit



Mitt Romney will threaten war with Iran if he is elected president as he seeks to bolster his foreign policy credentials following his gaffe-filled visit to London.



Arriving in Israel today, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate will reiterate his commitment to the preservation of the Jewish state in the face of what it sees as an existential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran.



Describing that scenario as 'the greatest threat to the world', Romney's official line is in marked difference to President Obama and is characterised by the ex-Massachusetts governor as 'If you want peace, prepare for war.'

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is seen during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London

Avoiding a traffic jam, Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney walks down Grosvenor Place in London to meet Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny at the Embassy of Ireland in London

'Governor Romney has made it clear he doesn't think that Obama's policies have been sufficient,' a foreign policy adviser to the Republican candidate told The Daily Telegraph .

'The President thinks that a nuclear Iran can be contained and deterred. He is clearly wrong.'

Hoping to gain the backing of the powerful and influential Jewish vote in the United States following his visit to Jerusalem, Romney hopes to draw attention to the fact that President Obama has yet to visit Israel since his term of office began in 2009.



However, the bellicose language comes after Romney's error strewn visit to Britain on the first leg of a three country jaunt that was meant to boost his foreign policy credentials.

U.S. Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is recognised by pedestrians at Grosvenor Place in London

Criticising London's readiness for the Olympic Games which opened with a colourful opening ceremony last night, politicians from both sides of the Atlantic slammed the Republican for his conduct over his two days in the British capital.



Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate leader said that it 'was not good for us as a country' to 'have somebody that's nominated by one of the principle parties to go over and insult everybody.'



Publicly rebuked by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Romney also drew the ire of Carl Lewis, the U.S. Olympian who won nine track and field gold medals during his career.



He is reported to have said, 'Seriously, some Americans just shouldn't leave the country.'

Users of Twitter in Britain declared the visit to be the 'Romneyshambles', which is a variation of 'omnishambles', a phrase first used in a popular U.K. political satire series called 'The Thick of It'.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opens the weekly cabinet meeting at his office on July 22, 2012 in Jerusalem, Israel

Mr Romney was careful not to complain on Friday after heavy traffic caused him to walk through the streets of London to the Irish Embassy to meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny.



Using the visit to Israel to show his steadfast support, Romney took to a Jerusalem newspaper to pledge to 'treat Israel like the friend and ally that it is.'



He added that 'I cannot imagine going to the United Nations, as Obama did, and criticising Israel in front of the world.'

The nuclear enrichment plant at Natanz in central Iran

Inspection tour: Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inspects Natanz in 2008. The facility, seen in an aerial photo above right, has been repeatedly hit by malware

President Obama's dealings with Israel have cooled since he announced his support for a return to the 1967 borders following any eventual agreement with the Palestinians.



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lectured him publicly about this stand on a visit to the United States.



Despite his comments, Romney raised $2 million at two fundraisers for American expatriates at London's Mandarin Oriental hotel late on Thursday.

The Massive Ordnance Penetrator is nearly five tons heavier than any other bomb in the military's arsenal and is made to pulverise underground targets

Senior bankers, lawyers and former ambassadors paid up to $75,000 to mingle with the candidate.



It has also been revealed today that the United States Air Force has perfected a 30,000 pound bunker-busting bomb.

