U.S. Sidesteps Israeli Claims on Proposed Interim Iran Deal

The White House said Thursday there was "no daylight" with Israel on the objective of talks with Iran, despite Benjamin Netanyahu's warning that a proposed interim nuclear deal would be a historic mistake.

The White House chose not to directly respond to Israeli Prime Minister's comments, which came as U.S. and Iranian negotiating teams, along with those from key world powers, held a new round of nuclear talks in Geneva.

Netanyahu had reacted angrily to leaks of an interim confidence building agreement which would provide limited, reversible sanctions relief in return for Iran freezing uranium enrichment and taking other steps.

The Israeli leader said that the proposals would allow Iran to retain the capability to make a nuclear weapon and were totally opposed by Israel as "a mistake of historic proportions."

But White House spokesman Jay Carney sidestepped Israel's objections.

"There is no daylight between Israel and the United States, between the president and the prime minister, when it comes to the objective of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," said Carney.

While that statement may be true in a vague sense, there remain clear differences of opinion between Israel and the United States on the urgency of the threat posed by Iran.

Washington says its policy is to stop Iran getting nuclear arms and says it has enough time to react -- about a year -- after Iran takes a decision for push for such a weapon.

Israel talks about Iran's "capability" of producing a weapon, which can mean the expertise and materials needed to build one, and not necessarily the actual process of putting nuclear material in a warhead and a delivery vehicle.

Officials have said a long-awaited deal on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions may be finally within reach, after years of fruitless talks were given fresh momentum by the election of Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani, seen as a relative moderate.

Western powers suspect Iran's uranium enrichment may be aimed at developing nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies.

Israel, widely believed to be the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power, has staunchly opposed easing sanctions.

Washington says at this point it is only interested in offering limited and reversible relief to Iran to tests its likely compliance with a longer term deal, and is not intending at this point to subvert the "core architecture" of sanctions which have reduced Tehran's economy to ruins.