Barack Obama, giddy at the prospect of reaching any kind of nuclear deal at all with Iran, boasted on Thursday that the announcement by negotiators in Switzerland that the West had agreed to terminate some sanctions on Iran in exchange for a purported decision by Iran to stop creating materials that could be used for nuclear weapons was a “historic understanding.” He intoned, "If this framework leads to a final, comprehensive deal, it will make our country, our allies, and our world safer."
Obama stated that he would try to convince Congress, Israel and other Middle Eastern countries, which are skeptical of Iran, that the agreement he has been pushing will benefit them. Obama asserted, "In those conversations, I will underscore that the issues at stake here are bigger than politics. These are matters of war and peace."
Yet Obama admitted that no final deal is in place, and more must be done by the June 30 deadline. Obama did not focus on the two essential issues left unresolved: how quickly sanctions would be eased and how to verify Iran would not cheat on the deal. Instead, he blustered, "If Iran cheats, the world will know it. If we see something suspicious, we will inspect it." He did not say how this would be achieved.
The Wall Street Journal reported last November that a Nov. 17 report from David Albright and his team at the Institute for Science and International Security, based on findings from the International Atomic Energy Agency, found Iran had lied to U.N. inspectors; Iran had tested a model for an advanced centrifuge, which violated a 2013 interim agreement, as well as hiding evidence of a nuclear-weapons development at Parchin.
Earlier this week, Robert Einhorn, a former State Department adviser for non-proliferation and arms control in the Obama administration, told USA Today, "No verification system is going to give you 100% confidence there is no cheating.”
The ostensible restrictions on Iran include restricting plutonium and enriched uranium, cutting back the number of centrifuges, and destroying a reactor core, while supposedly submitting to international inspections.
Before the announcement, Secretary of State John Kerry rejoiced that it was a "big day," that all the parties to the deal "now have parameters to resolve major issues on nuclear program. Back to work soon on a final deal."
On Thursday, Obama also threatened members of Congress opposed to the deal that if they killed the deal it would trigger other countries to lambast the United states.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain, all of which have a fear of a nuclear Iran, are expected to attend a meeting at Camp David with Obama this spring. Obama concluded, "We have a historic opportunity to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons in Iran and to do so peacefully, with the international community firmly behind us. We should seize that chance."
