Netanyahu: I know details of US-Iran nuclear deal

Israel's prime minister has said that he knows the details of the deal being forged with Iran over its nuclear programme and asked "what is there to hide" after the US said it was withholding some information on the talks.

Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks come a day after the Obama administration said it was keeping some specifics from Israel because it feared its ally would leak sensitive information to try to scuttle the talks - and would continue to do so.

"We know that Tehran knows the details of the talks. Now I tell you that Israel also knows the details of the proposed agreement," Netanyahu said.

"I think this is a bad agreement that is dangerous for the state of Israel, and not just for it. If anyone thinks otherwise what is there to hide here?" he said.

Netanyahu has angered the White House with his open opposition to a deal, and by accepting a Republican party invitation to address the US Congress about Iran in early March without consulting the White House, a breach of diplomatic protocol.

The planned speech has caused an uproar in Israel as well, coming just two weeks before national elections. Netanyahu says it is his duty to lobby against the nuclear deal.

Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the US state department, questioned Netanyahu's claim to knowing the details of the deal. "Then the fact is that he knows more than the negotiators, in that there is no deal yet," she said.

"Obviously, if there's a deal we'll be explaining the deal and explaining why and how it prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. And if that's the case and we come to a deal, it's hard to see how anyone wouldn't see that's to the benefit of the international community," she said.