(Reuters) - Hundreds of U.S. lawmakers pressed Secretary of State John Kerry to lean harder onIranin talks over its nuclear program in a letter released on Thursday afterIsraelwarned Washington not to go easy on Tehran.Three hundred and fifty-four members - four-fifths - of the U.S. House of Representatives signed the letter sent to Kerry on Wednesday night, expressing concerns that an agreement on Iran's nuclear program might not require sufficiently strict inspections of its nuclear facilities.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Sept. 5 thatIranhad failed to address concerns about suspected atomic bomb research by an agreed deadline.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told PresidentBarack Obamaon Wednesday that he must make sure any final nuclear deal with Iran does not leave it at the "threshold" of being able to develop nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu has been attempting to shift the global spotlight away from Islamic State fighters inIraqandSyriaand back to Iran, warning that a nuclear-armed Tehran would pose a far greater threat than the militant Islamists.
AlthoughIsraelbacks Obama's efforts to forge a coalition to confront Islamic State fighters, some Israelis fear world powers could go easy on Shi'ite Muslim Iran's nuclear program so it will help in the fight against the Sunni Islamists.
Iran and six world powers are expected to meet again for nuclear talks in Europe in the next two weeks, Iranian and Western officials said.
By Reuters
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