America's done a deal with Iran to keep U.S. out of future war with Israel, claims Israeli newspaper →

What a messy rumor:

Israeli’s biggest-selling newspaper says America has secretly negotiated with Iran to keep the U.S. out of a future Israel-Iran war.

Washington has approached Tehran through two unidentified European countries, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said.

The paper said the United States told Iran it expected Tehran in return to refrain from retaliating against U.S. interests, including its military in the Gulf. The report did not disclose any source for its information.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the Israeli newspaper story, which appeared during the Labor Day holiday.

President Barack Obama is fighting accusations from his Republican challenger Mitt Romney that he is lax in support for Israel, Washington’s long-term ally in the Middle East.

The Obama administration says it is strongly committed to Israel’s security and to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Sunday: ‘I can tell you that there is absolutely no daylight between the United States and Israel when it comes to the necessity of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.’

An Israeli official said: ‘It doesn’t make sense. There would be no need to make such a promise to the Iranians because they realise the last thing they need is to attack U.S. targets and draw massive U.S. bombing raids.’

The United States and Israel both accuse Iran of developing nuclear capability that could be used to make a weapon, and have both said they reserve the right to take military action to prevent Iran from making a bomb.