US president says US commitment to Israeli security is “ironclad” during speech to pro-Israeli lobby in Washington.

Barack Obama, the US president, has rejected Palestinian plans to seek statehood at the United Nations, and said Washington’s commitment to Israel’s security is “ironclad”.

Obama was speaking at the annual policy meeting of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the main pro-Israel lobby in the US, on Sunday amid unprecedented tumult in the Middle East and new strains in US-Israeli relations.

“No vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Palestinian state,” Obama said.

“And the United States will stand up against efforts to single Israel out at the UN or in any international forum. Because Israel’s legitimacy is not a matter for debate.”