Netanyahu slams Iran nuclear deal possibility, willing to risk 'friction' with US

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said he is willing to risk "friction" with the U.S. to prevent Iran from going nuclear if it moves forward with reinstating the Iran nuclear deal.

"If we have to choose – I hope it doesn’t happen – between friction with our great friend the United States and eliminating the existential threat – eliminating the existential threat" wins, Netanyahu said. "I’ve told this to my friend for 40 years, Joe Biden, and I said to him, ‘With or without a deal, we will continue to do everything in our power to thwart the armament of Iran with nuclear weapons,'" Netanyahu said at a ceremony for David Barnea, the incoming head of Mossad, Israel’s external intelligence agency.  Netanyahu’s remarks come as the U.S. has been participating in talks to reinstate the 2015 deal, a campaign promise of President Biden, in Vienna, Austria. The Jewish state leader has been a vocal opponent of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which relieves Iran of sanctions in exchange for perceived curbs on nuclear activity.