“If Congress kills this is deal, we will lose more than just constraints on Iran’s nuclear program or the sanctions we have painstakingly built”, Obama said.
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Drawing on more distant history, Obama said the Iran deal was in line with America’s long tradition of “strong, principled diplomacy” with adversaries, including the former Soviet Union.
At the first Senate hearing to debate the deal in July, the Connecticut senator emerged as a defender of the agreement, which reins in Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a joint statement.
Unlike his predecessor, Mohamed ElBaradei, who had what might be termed a “Third World Mentality” and was sympathetic to Iran, Mr. Amano has been strictly neutral and has actively sought to get Iran to reveal information about its past suspected nuclear weapons activities.
“The prohibition on Iran having a nuclear weapon is permanent”. Congressional lawmakers will vote next month on a resolution either approving or disapproving of the pact. “Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not three months from now, but soon”.
The administration announced on Wednesday that Obama will visit Israel to sell the deal in person.
“It was a mind-set characterized by a preference for military action over diplomacy”, he said of the arguments in favor of invading Iraq in remarks at American University in Washington. “America’s credibility as the anchor of the global system”.
The president’s speech is part of an intense lobbying campaign on both sides to sway lawmakers during their August recess. “The JCRC shares the goal of achieving a negotiated, peaceful solution, and emphatically rejects the notion that objecting to this proposed deal is a call for war”.
Obama said that while Iranian hardliners may chant “Death to America” in the streets of Tehran, that’s not the belief of all Iranians.
“What we need to do then is obviously hit Iran in a proportionate way, show them that those breaches have consequences”. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), remain on the fence.
Obama says if Iran fails to abide by the deal, it’s possible the U.S. would have no alternative to using military force against Iran. And because we know, Coons says he is not too concerned about these past issues. “Walk away from this agreement and you will get a better deal – for Iran”.
He declared that lawmakers risk damaging American credibility if they vote to scuttle the deal and equated them with those who pushed for war with Iraq – and with the mullahs in Iran.
Several Jewish leaders confronted the president during a closed-door meeting Tuesday over his suggestion that opponents of the deal favor war with Iran, saying many Israelis feel that is an “incendiary charge”, according to one participant.
Obama said the invasion of Iraq had destabilized the Middle East and empowered Iran, creating conditions for the Islamic State terror group to emerge and eliminating Saddam Hussein, a longtime Iran foe.
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He said the rest of the world supports the Iran accord, with the notable exception of Israel.
