U.S. President Barack Obama called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday after the Israeli leader delivered a stinging rebuke to Washington over a deal taking shape in talks between Iran and world powers seeking to curb Tehran’s nuclear program.
The telephone call marked an apparent bid by Obama to tamp down growing unease over the emerging Iran deal among the United States’ Middle East allies, including Saudi Arabia, as well as mounting opposition to the plan on Capitol Hill.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who flew to Geneva to join the high-stakes talks after what was described as a tense meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem, was seeking to close what he called “important gaps” with Iran over the terms of an agreement, Reuters informs.
“The president provided the prime minister with an update on negotiations in Geneva and underscored his strong commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, which is the aim of the ongoing negotiations,” the White House said, adding that they agreed to continue “to stay in touch on this issue.”
