"President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad is a man who is ready to commit crimes against humanity, and he has to be stopped," Olmert said in an interview published on Newsweek magazine's website.

On the eve of his second visit to Washington since he took office in April, Olmert said Israel would be in favor of any compromise that would keep Iran from "crossing the technological threshhold" making them nuclear-weapons ready.

"But I don't believe that Iran will accept such compromise unless they have good reason to fear the consequences of not reaching a compromise.

"In other words, Iran must start to fear," he added.

Backed by the United States, Israel has said sanctions are necessary following Iran's persistent refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, a process which Israel, the United States and several European powers say hides a secret nuclear weapons programme -- despite Iran's insistence it is for peaceful purposes.

Israel -- widely considered the Middle East's sole, if undeclared, nuclear weapons power -- considers Iran its chief enemy, pointing to calls from Ahmadinejad for the Jewish state to be wiped off the map.

Olmert told Newsweek that US President George W. Bush, whom he will meet with at the White House on Monday, was well aware of what needed to be done to stop Iran.

"If there is one person I can trust, it's him," he said.

Asked if Israel would take military action to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, Olmert said Israel "has many options," which he was not willing to discuss.

However, he added: "It is absolutely intolerable for Israel to accept the threat of a nuclear Iran."

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