Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should take the heat out of his row with U.S. President Barack Obama, his top coalition partner said on Tuesday, warning that the spat over Iran was not helping Israel. “I think we have to lower the flames with the Americans,” said Finance Minister Yair Lapid, who heads the second largest party in the government. “This confrontation isn’t good and it also doesn’t serve our goal,” he told Army radio. Relations between Israel and Washington, traditionally the closest of allies, have soured over the past month, with Netanyahu openly criticizing Obama for backing a world powers’ deal aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear activities. Some analysts and commentators have said the dispute has pushed relations between the two countries to their worst level in more than 20 years, causing unease in Israel which relies heavily on military and diplomatic support from Washington.