Alwaght-Former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright has blasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his plan to address Congress about Iran next month, saying he is meddling with Washington’s internal affairs, as Press TV reports.
"He is interfering in our internal affairs," Albright told MSNBC on Wednesday.
"I don't want to interfere in Israeli internal affairs, but it strikes me that there is an awful lot going on in his neighborhood in the Middle East, and that's where he should be," she added.
Albright was referring to Netanyahu’s decision to deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress about Iran sanctions legislation on March 3.
The speech will happen while Tehran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are seeking to reach a final nuclear agreement.
Meanwhile, a number of Democrats called on House Speaker John Boehner to postpone Netanyahu's Congress speech, saying the address threatens Iran’s nuclear talks.
“The timing of this invitation and lack of coordination with the White House indicate that this is not an ordinary diplomatic visit,” Reps. Keith Ellison, Maxine Waters, and Steve Cohen wrote in a letter.
“Rather this appears to be an attempt to promote new sanctions legislation against Iran that could undermine critical negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran,” according to the letter.
Netanyahu, who is against a comprehensive Iran nuclear accord, has been repeatedly trying to persuade congressmen to vote in favor of additional sanctions against Tehran.
President Obama has threatened to veto new Iran sanctions legislation.
Obama would not meet with Netanyahu during his trip to Washington, DC.
Vice President Joe Biden’s office confirmed Biden would not participate in Netanyahu's speech.
A State Department official stated Secretary of State John Kerry also would not meet with the Israeli leader.
