Obama calls Netanyahu after he complained at proposed Iran deal

US President Barack Obama speaks at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana, on Nov 8, 2013. Mr Obama on Friday called Mr Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli prime minister slammed a proposed interim deal with Iran over its nuclear program. - PHOTO:
US President Barack Obama speaks at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana, on Nov 8, 2013. Mr Obama on Friday called Mr Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli prime minister slammed a proposed interim deal with Iran over its nuclear program. - PHOTO: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Friday called Mr Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli prime minister slammed a proposed interim deal with Iran over its nuclear program.

The White House gave few details of the content of the call but said Mr Obama brought Mr Netanyahu up to date with world powers' talks with Iran in Geneva.

Those talks are striving for an interim agreement that would freeze Teheran's nuclear program and offer the Islamic republic some modest relief from international sanctions.

"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," a White House statement said.

"The President and Prime Minister agreed to continue to stay in touch on this issue." In a sign of impatience with Netanyahu's stand, the White House earlier rejected angry Israeli criticism of the possible deal.

"There is no deal. Any critique of the deal is premature," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said aboard Air Force One.

Netanyahu earlier warned US Secretary of State John Kerry he was offering Iran the "deal of the century".

"This is a very bad deal. Israel utterly rejects it," Mr Netanyahu said.

But Mr Earnest insisted that no deal had yet been agreed in the talks and that Kerry had flown to Geneva to try to narrow differences between Iran and world powers known as the P5 plus one group.

"There is no deal in place," Mr Earnest said.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.