Dispute Between the White House and Congress Over Inviting Netanyahu to Speak About Iran

John Boehner, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, opposed Barack Obama's policies regarding the Iran nuclear dispute and announced that he has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak in the U.S. Congress about "Tehran's threats and extremist Islamism." However, a White House spokesperson stated that according to protocol, it is the leader of one country who must invite the leader of another country, and the U.S. President has not invited Benjamin Netanyahu. On Wednesday, January 21, the Associated Press reported based on John Boehner's office that he emphasized in a meeting with Republican representatives that Congress should impose new sanctions against Iran despite Mr. Obama's warnings. The report indicated that the invitation from John Boehner for Benjamin Netanyahu to speak in the U.S. Congress is scheduled for February 11, corresponding to Bahman 22. This report of Mr. Boehner's statements comes just one day after Barack Obama's annual address to the U.S. Congress and his warning to representatives in favor of intensifying sanctions against Iran. Mr. Obama stated that new sanctions against Iran while negotiations are ongoing would guarantee the failure of diplomacy and therefore he would veto them. The U.S. President also emphasized during a joint press conference with the British Prime Minister that if Iran stops nuclear negotiations under the pretext of intensified sanctions and the situation escalates to military confrontation, Congress must accept the consequences of its decision. Meanwhile, John Boehner referred to Mr. Obama's remarks, saying: "You may be aware that the President warned us on Friday not to take action towards sanctions against Iran, this terrorist-supporting regime. His precise message to us was to hold back. He expects us to waste time while he is reaching a bad agreement with Iran." The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives stressed that Congress would not submit to such a thing. He referred to Benjamin Netanyahu as "a great friend" of the U.S. and stated that given the current challenges, he asks him to speak in Congress about "the widespread threats of extremist Islamism and Iran that threaten the security and lifestyle" of Americans. However, these statements prompted a reaction from the White House, which stated that Barack Obama has not spoken with Benjamin Netanyahu about inviting him. According to Reuters, Josh Earnest, the White House spokesperson, stated: "Protocol tells us that when a leader of one country wants to travel to another country, the leader of that country must contact him." Mr. Earnest then referred to the invitation from the Speaker of the House to the Israeli Prime Minister, saying: "This seems to imply a violation of protocol."