Obama says Iranian nukes 'unacceptable'

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said Friday that Iran's development of nuclear weapons was "unacceptable" and the Islamic Republic must end its "support of terrorist organizations."

Obama said he would be reviewing a letter from Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, congratulating him on his election, and would "respond appropriately." But he said the U.S. approach to Iran could not be done in a "knee-jerk" fashion. "I think we've got to think it through," he said.

At his first news conference since winning Tuesday's election, Obama said he was moving with "all deliberate haste" to fill cabinet positions in his administration and expected to be announcing names within weeks.

"When we have an announcement to make about cabinet appointments, we will make it," Obama said. "I want to move with all deliberate haste, but I want to emphasize deliberate as well as haste," he said.

"I am proud of the choice I made of vice president partly, because we did it right. I am proud of the choice of chief of staff, because we thought it through," Obama told reporters referring to vice-president elect Joseph Biden, and new chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

"I think that it is very important in the key positions in the economic team and the national security team to get it right, and not to be so rushed that you end up making mistakes.

"I am confident that we are going to have an outstanding team, and we will be rolling it out in subsequent weeks."

Obama said a new emergency economic stimulus package for the troubled U.S. economy was a top priority for his incoming administration.

"One thing I can say with certainty is that we're going to need to see a stimulus package passed before or after inauguration," Obama said.

Asked in the press conference what he would do if the current Congress does not pass a stimulus before his inauguration on January 20, Obama said:

"I want to see a stimulus package sooner rather than later. If it does not get done in a lame-duck session (of Congress), it will be the first thing I get done as president of the United States."

I am confident that we are going to have an outstanding team, and we will be rolling it out in subsequent weeks

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama