White House denies snubbing Netanyahu with order of Iran calls

The White House on Friday denied President Obama snubbed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by making him wait for news concerning the Iran nuclear deal.

Spokesman Eric Schultz said Obama meant no disrespect by calling other world leaders before Netanyahu on Thursday.

“I would not read too much into the ordering of the calls,” Schultz told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday.

“Sometimes that has to do with who we can get a hold of and when and how,” he added.

{mosads}Obama and Netanyahu have been at odds over the nuclear talks, with the Israeli leader warning of a “bad deal” that will put the survival of his country at risk. Netanyahu on Friday said his entire Cabinet is “united” in opposition to the framework of the agreement.

Schultz indicated Netanyahu relayed his concerns to Obama during the call.

“I think I would tell you the arguments that the prime minister makes in public are mirrored in what he makes in private,” Schultz said.

“The good news is, the same arguments that the president made at the Rose Garden yesterday and has been making for a while now are also what he makes in private on these foreign leader calls,” he added.

The U.S. and five of its allies on Thursday said they had reached an agreement with Iran’s government after months of negotiations. America’s partners on the deal were Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

The complicated bargain will remove economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for its acceptance of new limitations on its nuclear energy program.

Obama on Thursday hailed the accord as “historic” during a statement from the White House.