Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert began a five-day trip to the United States on Sunday, armed with an agenda focusing on the Iranian nuclear threat and Israel’s relations with the Palestinians.

On the flight over, Olmert repeated his view that Iran will not scale back its nuclear ambitions unless it fears the consequences of its intransigence, a spokeswoman said.

“They (the Iranians) have to be afraid of the consequences if there isn’t a compromise,” spokeswoman Miri Eisin cited Olmert as telling journalists on the flight to Washington.

Olmert appeared, however, to play down a senior Israeli official’s suggestion that Israel is preparing for a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program. Asked to comment on Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh’s remarks, Olmert replied that on such matters, “we have to be very careful about what we say,” Eisin said.

Israel accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons, a charge that Tehran denies.

Sneh’s comments were part of a pattern of heightened Israeli rhetoric on the Iranian nuclear issue. On Sunday the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Iran’s military would hit back with a “swift, strong and crushing” response to any Israeli military action against it.

In 1981, Israeli combat planes destroyed an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor. Analysts say an attack on Iran would be much more difficult because Iran has scattered its nuclear facilities and built some underground.

Olmert has said Iran’s nuclear ambitions would be the main item on his agenda when he meets with U.S. officials in Washington. He had dinner with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday, but neither U.S. nor Israeli officials would describe the subjects of their conversation. Olmert was scheduled to meet with President Bush today.

There are expectations that while in Washington, Olmert will make small-scale moves on the Palestinian front, including the possibility of offering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.

Olmert told reporters he did not expect major developments during the trip.