--- title: Benjamin Netanyahu: Iran Deal 'Paves Path to Bomb' description: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted an emerging agreement saying it would lead to Iran getting nuclear weapons. canonical: https://time.com/3730224/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-iran/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-03T17:23:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:40:54.146Z article:section: Politics og:title: Netanyahu: Iran Deal 'Paves Path to a Bomb' og:description: He blasted agreements with Iran in a speech to Congress. og:url: https://time.com/3730224/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-iran/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4145d123f0a215dc/698781dd2dce01fc4a9ddd79/netanyahu-congress2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: US-ISRAEL-CONGRESS-NETANYAHU og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Netanyahu: Iran Deal 'Paves Path to a Bomb' twitter:description: He blasted agreements with Iran in a speech to Congress. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4145d123f0a215dc/698781dd2dce01fc4a9ddd79/netanyahu-congress2.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Netanyahu Tells Congress Iran Deal 'Paves Path to a Bomb' ## Video: Know Right Now: Netanyahu's Visit Causes Tensions Between Israel and the U.S. [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: Netanyahu's Visit Causes Tensions Between Israel and the U.S.](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/1r3FQru4.m3u8) (1:03)  _Published 2015-02-25. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to speak before a joint session of Congress on March 3rd, and the upcoming speech is having an affect on politics worldwide._ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Mar 3, 2015 5:23 PM UTC  Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of the US Congress on March 3, 2015 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of the US Congress on March 3, 2015 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Mar 3, 2015 5:23 PM UTC Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the emerging nuclear agreement with Iran Tuesday in an address to a joint meeting of Congress, saying the deal to prevent the regime from obtaining nuclear weapons would have the opposite result. Addressing a spirited Congress in the House chamber, Netanyahu warned the P5+1 nuclear deal “could well threaten the survival of my country and the future of my people,” encouraging lawmakers to oppose the agreement being negotiated by President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry. “It doesn’t block Iran’s path to the bomb, it paves Iran’s path to the bomb,” Netanyahu said, saying it would only embolden the Iranian government. “That deal will not prevent Iran from nuclear weapons, it would all but guarantee that Iran gets those weapons — lots of them.” “This is a bad deal,” he added. “It’s a very bad deal. We’re better off without it.” ### 7 Times World Leaders Addressed Congress  Pope Francis, addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress with with Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Sept. 24, 2015, urging legislators to work together to solve problems and avoid polarization Jim Lo Scalzo—EPA  Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, addressed Congress on March 3, 2015, urging a stop to the Iran nuclear talks. His policy positions are often controversial, but he enjoys a privileged position when it comes to visiting the legislature, this was his third visit to Congress. Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images  Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli Prime Minister, and King Hussein of Jordan shake hands following a joint address to Congress on July 26, 1994\. In the second of two Arab-Israeli appearances, Jordan's leader appeared with Israel's prime minister to celebrate their peace treaty. The treaty, signed the next month, ended a 46-year state of war. David Rubinger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Nelson Mandela addresses Congress on June 26, 1990\. At the time, he was president of the African National Congress. Apartheid was still law in South Africa and Mandela had only just been released from prison a few months before his appearance before lawmakers. Kevin Larkin—AFP/Getty Images  Benazir Bhutto, prime minister of Pakistan, addresses Congress on June 7, 1989\. She was the first woman elected to lead an Islamic state, and she remains Pakistan's only woman prime minister to date. After serving two non-consecutive terms, she was exiled to Dubai in 1999\. She returned to Pakistan in 2007 to run for the office again, and was assassinated. J.Scott—AP  Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, addressed Congress on Feb. 20, 1985\. She was the first female head of state to do so who was not a monarch. Bob Daugherty—AP  Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin respond to applause in the chambers of the U.S. House of Representatives during a joint session of Congress on Sept. 18, 1978\. A day earlier, the leaders had signed the historic Camp David accords, which ended 30 years of war and led to a peace treaty between the two nations in 1979. AP  Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, addressed Congress on April 12, 1962\. He was deposed in 1979\. No Iranian leader has addressed a joint session since. Aziz Rashki—AP Netanyahu’s speech was repeatedly punctuated by applause and standing ovations, often bringing both Democrats and Republicans to their feet. The image and the speech was a thumb in the eye to Obama, who was not consulted before Netanyahu was invited to address lawmakers and who sees the potential agreement a capstone to his legacy in office. National Security Adviser Susan Rice even called Netanyahu’s visit “destructive” to the U.S.-Israel relationship. The speech fell just two weeks before Netanyahu stands for re-election in a close race at home, shading the speech with elements of his domestic politics as much American divisions. The Israeli leader said he didn’t intend his visit to become the partisan lightning rod it had become and praised Obama’s commitment to Israel, including record levels of security assistance under his Administration. “I know that my speech has been the subject of much controversy,” he said. “I deeply regret that some perceive my being here as political. That was never my intention.” But Netanyahu did not pull any punches in outlining why he believes Obama is on the wrong path, painting a picture of a Middle East engaged in a furious nuclear arms race. “This deal won’t be a farewell to arms,” he said. “It would be a farewell to arms control. And the Middle East would soon be crisscrossed by nuclear tripwires. A region where small skirmishes can trigger big wars would turn into a nuclear tinder box.” **MORE:** [Why Bibi and Barack Can’t Get Along](http://time.com/3729174/netanyahu-obama-iran-speech-fight/) Netanyahu raised objection that the emerging deal does not lengthen the so-called breakout time — the time it would take Iran to construct a nuclear weapon — and that it would lift sanctions on the country without requiring it to stop funding terrorist groups like Hizballah. “Would Iran be less aggressive when sanctions are removed and its economy is stronger?” he asked. “If Iran is gobbling up four countries right now while it’s under sanctions, how many more countries will Iran devour when sanctions are lifted? Would Iran fund less terrorism when it has mountains of cash with which to fund more terrorism? Why should Iran’s radical regime change for the better when it can enjoy the best of both world’s: aggression abroad, prosperity at home?” Netanyahu rejected the notion that the alternative to a deal is war, as Obama allies have maintained. “The alternative to this bad deal is a much better deal,” he said. But he offered no path toward a deal that Iran would agree to, other than calling for the continuation of global sanctions, until Iran halts funding terror and aggressive actions against its neighbors, and stops calling for the destruction of the state of Israel. “If Iran threatens to walk away from the table, and this often happens in a Persian bazaar, call their bluff,” he said. “They’ll be back. They need a deal a lot more than you do.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3730224/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-iran/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3730224/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-iran/"},"headline":"Netanyahu Tells Congress Iran Deal 'Paves Path to a Bomb'","datePublished":"2015-03-03T17:23:07.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:40:54.146Z","description":"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted an emerging agreement saying it would lead to Iran getting nuclear weapons.","url":"https://time.com/3730224/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-iran/","keywords":["Foreign Policy","Congress","Israel","White House","Benjamin Netanyahu"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4145d123f0a215dc/698781dd2dce01fc4a9ddd79/netanyahu-congress2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Zeke Miller","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4145d123f0a215dc/698781dd2dce01fc4a9ddd79/netanyahu-congress2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-ISRAEL-CONGRESS-NETANYAHU","caption":"US-ISRAEL-CONGRESS-NETANYAHU","creditText":"Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/foreign-policy/","name":"Foreign Policy"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3730224/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-iran/","name":"Netanyahu Tells Congress Iran Deal 'Paves Path to a Bomb'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: Netanyahu's Visit Causes Tensions Between Israel and the U.S.","description":"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to speak before a joint session of Congress on March 3rd, and the upcoming speech is having an affect on politics worldwide.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/1r3FQru4/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-02-25T22:46:40.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/1r3FQru4.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3730224/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-iran/","duration":"PT1M3S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3730224/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-iran/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```