US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Monday conceded that sanctions against Iran have not yet forced it to abandon its nuclear agenda but argued that there is still time for non-military options to succeed. Panetta is at the start of a five-day tour of the Middle East and North Africa. On Wednesday, the secretary will be in Israel where he will be the latest Obama administration official to plead with Prime Minister Netanyahu to hold-off any plans to attack Iraq while diplomacy is given every opportunity to work. While the US sees Iran’s willingness to engage the West in negotiations as a sign diplomacy can succeed, Israel argues Iran is playing for time and urges action be taken before Tehran obtains all of the pieces necessary for assembling nuclear weapons. Although widely seen as acts not unrelated to the re-election campaign, President Obama just signed a bill that will for the first time allow Israel to purchase re-fueling tanker jets and the latest bunker-buster bombs, both key elements necessary if Israel is going to attack Iran’s nuclear installations. In Egypt, Panetta will meet with both newly-elected President Mohamed Morsi and Field Marshal Tantawi, head of the military council that assumed control when Hosni Mubarak was toppled and continues to assert control even after Morsi assumed office.