In a lengthy interview with the New York Times, the US president insisted the outline "once in a lifetime” agreement reached in Lausanne was good for America and would not undermine the country’s long-standing support for Israel.

Mr Obama’s passionate defence of the agreement came against a backdrop of attacks on his willingness to negotiate with Tehran from both Mr Netanyahu and Republican opponents.

The Israeli Prime Minister, whose decision to address a joint session of the US congress last month incensed the Obama administration, said the deal put Israel’s survival at risk.

But in the interview, Mr Obama made clear that the US would not stand by if Israel came under threat.

"What we will be doing even as we enter into this deal is sending a very clear message to the Iranians and to the entire region that if anybody messes with Israel, America will be there.”

He added that he was personally upset at accusations that his administration had not done everything it could to look after Israel’s interests.

With a presidential election looming, a rift with Israel could prove politically costly for the Democrat candidate next year.

The outline agreement with Iran, which has to be ratified by June 30, would allow Tehran to develop a nuclear energy programme, while undertaking not to enrich uranium at its secret underground facility at Fordow.

But Republican right-wingers, including several presidential hopefuls such as Scott Walker, the Wisconsin governor, have described the deal as dangerous and a threat to US safety.

This was dismissed by Mr Obama, who said the deal would enable the Iranian nuclear programme to be thoroughly monitored.

"In the first instance, what we have agreed to is that we will be able to inspect and verify what’s happening along the entire nuclear chain from the uranium mines all the way through to the final facilities like Natanz.

"What that means is that we’re not just going to have a bunch of folks posted at two or three or five sites. We are going to be able to see what they’re doing across the board.”

But even if agreement is reached by the midsummer deadline, Tehran could not expect an end to all UN sanctions, despite Mohammad Javad Zarif, the country’s foreign minister, saying he expected them to be lifted in full once a deal is signed.

But even if agreement is reached by the midsummer deadline, Tehran could not expect an end to all UN sanctions, despite Mohammad Javad Zarif, the country’s foreign minister, saying he expected them to be lifted in full once a deal is signed.

"There are certain sanctions that we have that would remain in place because they’re not related to Iran’s nuclear program, and this, I think, gets to a central point that we’ve made consistently.

"If in fact we are able to finalise the nuclear deal, and if Iran abides by it, that’s a big piece of business that we’ve gotten done, but it does not end our problems with Iran,” Mr Obama said.

"We are still going to be aggressively working with our allies and friends to reduce — and hopefully at some point stop — the destabilising activities that Iran has engaged in, the sponsorship of terrorist organisations.”

 

(The Telegraph)