Iran nuclear talks: Netanyahu warns US against striking 'bad deal' that will make way for nuclear bomb

As negotiations to reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear program continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the U.S. against striking a "bad deal" which could pave the way to a "nuclear bomb" rather than blocking it.

In a speech to the U.S. Congress punctuated by standing ovations, Netanyahu said that Iran posed a threat to the entire world, reported the BBC.

He also insisted that he was not trying to meddle in internal U.S. politics.

The statement came as world powers and Iran are holding talks to close a nuclear deal ahead of the critical late-March deadline.

The speech came just two weeks before a closely fought election in Israel.

The White House had earlier criticized Netanyahu's plan to address the U.S. Congress, at Republican invitation, without consulting it by saying that he was trying to "swell the opposition to any Iran deal."

U.S. President Barack Obama reacted to Netanyahu's speech by saying that he had not seen anything new in the speech transcript. He added that the leader did not offer "any viable alternatives" on how to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons which would make it "far more dangerous.