JERUSALEM — Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Nigeria's president that a nuclear armed Iran threatens Africa.

Netanyahu met Monday with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. The prime minister's office said Netanyahu told Jonathan that stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons is important to Nigeria, Africa and the world.

Israel and the West believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons technology. The Jewish state sees a nuclear armed Iran as a threat to its existence, citing Iranian references to Israel's destruction and its support of militant groups like Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

In February, Nigerian authorities broke up what they said was an Iranian-backed group that gathered intelligence on places frequented by Americans and Israelis, and made lists of famous people for possible attacks.