Benjamin Netanyahu says he will warn against a possible nuclear deal with Iran “that could threaten the survival of Israel” when he addresses the US Congress today.
Ahead of the much anticipated and controversial speech, the Israeli prime minister denied that his decision to take his message on Iran directly to the Republican-controlled legislature despite White House objections was a sign of disrespect for Barack Obama.
The US president, who is leading delicate negotiations on a diplomatic deal to contain Iran’s nuclear programme, told Reuters that Mr Netanyahu’s warnings on the 2013 interim deal with Iran had not come true but said the dispute over the speech would not be “permanently destructive” to US-Israel relations.