Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's "interference" in US affairs is 'unprecedented,' US President Barack Obama asserted during an interview which will air in full Sunday night.
Speaking to CNN interviewer Fareed Zakaria, Obama addressed tensions between himself and his Israeli counterpart over the Iran nuclear deal, arguing that Netanyahu's opposition to the deal is wrong.
Zakaria asked Obama if it was “appropriate of a foreign head of government to inject himself into an American affair” to the extent Netanyahu has, and if he could recall similar conduct by another foreign head of state.
The US President tried to dodge the question, suggesting that Zakaria should pose his query directly to Netanyahu. Obama did, however, note that he could not "recall a similar example."
In March, in the midst of world powers' negotiations with Iran, Netanyahu spoke out against a potential accord before the US Congress, incurring the wrath of the Obama administration.
But tension between Israel and the United States has remained high since the deal's announcement last month, with Obama recently singling out the Jewish state as the only country who opposed the agreement.
In his interview, though, Obama was quick to stress the deep relationship shared by the US and Israel.
Asserting his ability to prove Netanyahu's basic position wrong, Obama claimed the deal was the best way to ensure Iran would not acquire nuclear weapons, making it a good agreement for the US and especially good for Israel.