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Netanyahu will lobby Trump for changes to Iran nuclear deal

Netanyahu noted that Trump has warm feelings for Israel and the Jewish people.

By Ed Adamczyk

NEW YORK, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he intends to lobby the Trump administration to end or modify the Iran nuclear deal.

Netanyahu said that after Donald Trump's inauguration he will lobby the new administration to disengage from the agreement. During his presidential campaign Trump said he would seek to end the complex, internationally negotiated deal limiting Iran's construction of nuclear weapons, although some have warned backing out could endanger U.S. interests, Politico reported Monday.

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"It doesn't block Iran's path to the bomb, it paves Iran's path to the bomb," Netanyahu said of the deal in an appearance on CBS' 60 Minutes on Sunday. "So why would anyone make this deal?"

The prime minister said he had about five ideas for how to undo the nuclear deal and that he would speak to Trump about it.

He also said he expects a better relationship with Trump than with President Barack Obama. He acknowledged that despite his respect for Obama, the two leaders "had differences of opinion," and clashed most significantly over the Iran nuclear agreement.

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Trump "feels very warmly about the Jewish state, about the Jewish people and about Jewish people. There's no question about that," Netanyahu said.

In March 2015 he visited Washington in a lobbying effort against the agreement, which he perceives as a threat against Israel. His visit included an address to the U.S. Congress.

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