White House offers rebuttal before Netanyahu’s speech

Just four days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint meeting of Congress, the Obama administration sought on Friday to refute the Israeli leader’s expected critique, arguing that he has failed to present a feasible alternative to American proposals for constraining Iran's nuclear program.

Report informs citing foreign media, n a briefing for reporters, senior administration officials contended that even an imperfect agreement that kept Iran's nuclear efforts frozen for an extended period was preferable to a breakdown in talks that could allow the leadership in Tehran unfettered ability to produce enriched uranium and plutonium.

“The alternative to not having a deal is losing inspections,” said one senior official, who would not be quoted by name under conditions that the administration set for the briefing, “and an Iran ever closer to having the fissile material to manufacture a weapon.”

The briefing came at what appears to be a milestone in the talks.

Administration officials and their European counterparts appear to be preparing for some kind of agreement - one that could ultimately be frustrated by Congress or among hard-liners in Iran.

But the American officials speaking Friday avoided directly answering some questions about important outcomes of the agreement still being negotiated.