Obama to discuss Iran agreement with Netanyahu

US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected Sunday evening to discuss the first-step agreement between Iran and the P5+1 world powers, signed in Geneva in the early hours of the day.

The US president was due to call Netanyahu, who had strongly condemned the agreement, in order to brief the prime minister on the details of the accord and to address Netanyahu’s concerns.

“You can be sure that President Obama will speak to Prime Minister Netanyahu,” an administration official was quoted by CNN as saying Sunday.

“Ultimately, we understand why Israel is particularly skeptical about Iran,” the official said. “This is not simply about trusting the Iranian government. There are strict verification measures.”

On Sunday morning, Iranian delegates and Western powers reached an interim deal on Iran’s rogue nuclear program, after a weekend of intensive talks.

Obama said the deal was an “important first step” that opened up a “real opportunity to achieve a peaceful settlement” and address the world’s concerns over the program.

Netanyahu, on the other hand, called the agreement a “historic mistake,” and vowed to keep Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“What was accomplished last night in Geneva is not a historic agreement; it’s a historic mistake,” Netanyahu said at the start of Sunday morning’s weekly cabinet meeting.

“Today the world has become much more dangerous, because the most dangerous regime in the world took a meaningful step toward acquiring the most dangerous weapon in the world.”

On Sunday, US Secretary of State John Kerry tried to allay Israel’s concerns about the agreement.

In an interview with CNN, Kerry said the agreement had actually made Israel safer.

“We believe very strongly that, because the Iranian nuclear program is actually set backwards and is actually locked into place in critical places, that that is better for Israel than if you were just continuing to go down the road and they rush towards a nuclear weapon.”

Last Monday, Kerry confirmed he had postponed a visit to Israel, reportedly scheduled for last week, saying it would take place “after Thanksgiving.”

Kerry last visited Israel on November 6, as part of a Middle Eastern tour to discuss Iran’s nuclear program and the ongoing peace talks with the Palestinians.

The Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report