Netanyahu Warns Congress Deal With Iran Will Lead To Nuclear Arms

Benjamin Netanyahu warned Congress on Tuesday that an agreement between Iran and world powers would not prevent Tehran from developing nuclear arms. The Israeli Prime Minister said an emerging international deal with Iran would endanger Israel’s survival.

“We have been told that no deal is better than a bad deal. Well, this is a bad deal. It is a very bad deal. We are better off without it,” Netanyahu insisted. He believes Iran wants nuclear weapons to gain dominance in the Middle East.

House Speaker John Boehner invited Netanyahu to speak before Congress without the president’s approval in January.

Several dozen Democratic lawmakers and top Obama administration officials didn’t attend the speech. President Barack Obama described Netanyahu’s speech as “nothing new” and pointed out that the Israeli Prime Minister offered no alternatives to the emerging deal.

White House officials said, “Without a deal, Iran will certainly advance its program – installing advanced centrifuges, fueling its plutonium reactor, and reducing or eliminating its breakout timeline. That would leave us with the choice of accepting a nuclear-threshold Iran or taking military action.”

Obama chose not to meet with Netanyahu because of Israel’s elections later this month. National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said in January that the White House doesn’t meet with heads of states or candidates close to elections so as not to give the impression of an endorsement.

Iranian officials responded to Netanyahu’s speech, claiming it was repetitive and deceitful. Ministry spokesperson Marzieh Afkham said the mixed reception for the Israeli Prime Minister exemplified his isolation.

“With the continuation of [nuclear] negotiations and Iran’s serious determination to resolve this made-up crisis, the policy of creating Iranophobia has faced basic problems. And those responsible for such false propaganda and fake crisis are now flailing about,” Afkham said.

Notably, Netanyahu warned Congress that Iran’s regime was “a dark and brutal dictatorship.” He compared Iran’s ideology to that of the Islamic State.

[Photo Credit: U.S. Department of State]

Netanyahu Warns Congress Deal With Iran Will Lead To Nuclear Arms