US denies Obama invited Netanyahu to Washington

The White House has denied a report by an Israeli newspaper that US President Barack Obama had invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a meeting in Washington next month.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on Tuesday the two could meet in the White House on July 15 or 16 after an end of June deadline for an Iranian nuclear deal, citing unnamed US State Department sources.

American and Israeli officials have said they expected Netanyahu would meet Obama again after his election to a fourth term on March 17. But no date has been set, and a White House official speaking on condition of anonymity denied Netanyahu had received any US invitation.

"No invitation has been extended, though certainly we’d expect that there will be occasion for the two leaders to meet in Washington at some point going forward," the White House official said in response to the report.

Israeli officials speaking on condition of anonymity have also told reporters that no such invitation had been received.

Relations between the United States and Israel have been strained since Obama took office in 2009.

Netanyahu made opposition to nuclear negotiations with Iran that was a centerpiece of his reelection campaign.

He gave a controversial address to Congress on March 3, warning lawmakers that the White House was negotiating "a very bad deal" with Iran.

Earlier this month, Obama said Israel is losing “credibility” among the international community over Netanyahu’s stance on the creation of a Palestinian state.