US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said in a speech to an influential Zionist lobby group in Washington that Iran still posed a threat to Israel and needed to be closely watched.
Speaking on Monday to the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Clinton also criticized her Republican rival Donald Trump for having a "neutral" stance on Israel.
She said American leaders needed to show loyalty to Israel and "anyone who doesn't understand that has no business being our president."
"This is a serious danger and demands a serious response," Clinton said, declaring that sanctions must be placed against the country. "We must work closely with Israel and other partners to cut off the flow of money and other arms from Iran to Hezbollah" she added.
Many of the US presidential candidates, in particular Clinton, receive large campaign funding from Jewish billionaires who have strong ties to the far-right wing in Israel, experts say.
"Clinton is heavily favored by the Israel lobby because she is quite clear about her intention to pursue the war policies of several presidential predecessors," said Mark Dankof, who is also a broadcaster and pastor in San Antonio, Texas.
"She is getting very, very strong backing from the Israeli lobby and is getting more money from the defense industry than any other candidate in this race," Dankof told Press TV earlier this month.
The US government is pressured to serve Israel's interests due to the influence of the powerful Zionist lobby in the United States. The pro-Israel pressure groups actively work to steer US foreign policy in favor of Israel.
