Israeli ambassador Michael Oren visits Kansas City

Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, was greeted with a packed house and warm reception at the Jewish Community Center in Kansas City on Monday.

The ambassador spoke to the crowd about the violence in the Middle East, and called Israel an "indispensable ally" to the U.S.

As President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu each begin new terms, Oren downplayed reports of a rocky relationship between the two as they look ahead to peace talks.

"I think a lot of reports about their strained relationship have been grossly exaggerated," he said. "They've had nine meetings together. I've been present at all of their meetings. The meetings have been open, friendly, very candid."

When it comes to keeping Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Oren stressed that the U.S. and Israel are very much in agreement.

"We both believe that the best way to achieve that is a combination of escalating sanctions against the Iranian economy, combined with a credible military threat," he said.

For Oren's full interview with Mark Clegg, watch the video player above.