Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of the US Congress next week to warn against an impending deal on Iran's nuclear programme.
At the same time, US Secretary of State John Kerry will be in Geneva meeting the Iranians, perhaps putting the finishing touches on that very agreement.
While there are still significant gaps between the two sides, the deal that appears to taking shape will allow the Iranians to continue using 6,500 centrifuges for low-level uranium enrichment on condition that most of the enriched uranium is transferred to Russia.
The main differences that reportedly remain are over the length of time that restrictions should remain on Iran's nuclear activities and the schedule for the removal of economic sanctions. The sides are anxious to reach a framework agreement by the end of March.
On Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu said a US-Iranian deal "will allow Iran to become a nuclear threshold state".
Iran has been consistently obstructive during the IAEA probes
The Obama administration, which has responded angrily to Mr Netanyahu's planned visit, ramped up its criticism this week. Mr Kerry said during a Congress hearing on Tuesday: "Anybody running around right now, jumping in to say, 'Well, we don't like the deal,' or this or that, doesn't know what the deal is. There is no deal yet."
A few hours later, National Security Adviser Susan Rice ratcheted up the tension, saying: "The invitation… [to Netanyahu] is not only unfortunate but it is also destructive of the fabric of the relationship."
Meanwhile, a report compiled by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which will be responsible for verifying any nuclear deal, was leaked on Sunday.
According to the report, Iran is not co-operating with an IAEA probe into "possible military dimensions" of its nuclear programme. While Iran has been consistently obstructive towards the IAEA, the nuclear watchdog confirmed that the Islamic Republic had been complying with the conditions of the interim deal, signed in December 2013, to freeze nuclear development in return for limited sanctions relief.
