The Republican presidential candidate attracted strong criticism over his comments that alluded to the Holocaust in relation to the Iran deal.

In comments made to conservative website Breibart News over the weekend, Huckabee said the president's actions would lead Israelis to the same fate as those who perished in the Holocaust.

"This president's foreign policy is the most feckless in American history," Huckabee told "Breitbart News Saturday." "It is so naive that he would trust the Iranians. By doing so, he will take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven."

The Iran deal has whipped up a storm of opposition from Republicans who claim it does "too little, too late" to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Stepping over the mark

However, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said Huckabee had gone too far. She claimed the comments had "no place in American politics."

"Cavalier analogies to the Holocaust are unacceptable," said Schultz in a statement. "Mike Huckabee must apologize to the Jewish community and to the American people for this grossly irresponsible statement."

However, Huckabee stood by his comments by tweeting a graphic of the text over an Iranian and Israeli flag late on Sunday.

Just under two weeks ago, Iran reached an agreement - placing restrictions on its nuclear program in response for the lifting of international sanctions - with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.

Tehran promised to dismantle or put on hold a large part of its nuclear industry, including by reducing its uranium stockpile by 98 percent. However Israel claims the agreement makes it less safe, with Iran being allowed to reach "threshold" nuclear status.

The conservative Huckabee - who has expressed strong views against abortion - and is a favorite of the religious right - entered the White House fray in May.

rc/lw (AFP, AP, Reuters)