New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, on his first trip to Israel, outlined his views on the Iranian nuclear threat in an interview with Israel Hayom.

“First of all, my position is that Iran must not be permitted to acquire nuclear capability because then it would acquire nuclear weapons,” Christie said. “That would permit it to influence the entire region, and potentially, the entire world.

“Second, Israel’s foundation rests upon its ability, and actual right, to defend itself without relying on any other nation in the world to guarantee its existence,” he continued. “I think that the U.S. must respect the fact that the State of Israel has the right to determine how it will defend itself. You’ve got an Iranian president who wants to wipe Israel off the map. I think we have an obligation to bring down the craziest man in the world.”