Kerry tries to sell Iran deal

Secretary of State John Kerry launched a full-court press on Thursday to sell the administration’s Iran deal to a skeptical Israel.

{mosads}Kerry told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem that Israel’s security is “at the top of our agenda.”

Netanyahu has come under pressure from the White House to tone down his criticism of last month’s preliminary nuclear deal, which he initially called a “historic mistake.”

“The United States will do everything in our power to make certain that Iran’s nuclear program — a program of weaponization possibilities — is terminated,” Kerry said at a joint press conference with Netanyahu. “We agree on what the goal of the final status agreement ought to be. And in the days and weeks ahead, we will consult very closely and continually with our Israeli friends in order to bring about a comprehensive agreement that can withstand everybody’s test.”

Kerry’s remarks come as the Obama administration is clashing with pro-Israel groups that are pushing for new sanctions on Capitol Hill, a move the administration thinks could spoil any chance at a peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

Read more on The Hill.