This week, together with our allies and partners, we
reached an historic understanding with Iran, which, if fully implemented, will
prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon and make our country, our allies,
and our world safer.
This framework is the result of tough, principled
diplomacy. It’s a good deal – a deal that meets our core objectives, including
strict limitations on Iran’s program and cutting off every pathway that Iran
could take to develop a nuclear weapon.
This deal denies Iran the plutonium necessary to build a
bomb. It shuts down Iran’s path to a bomb using enriched uranium. Iran has
agreed that it will not stockpile the materials needed to build a weapon.
Moreover, international inspectors will have unprecedented access to Iran’s
nuclear program because Iran will face more inspections than any other country
in the world. If Iran cheats, the world will know it. If we see something
suspicious, we will inspect it. So this deal is not based on trust, it’s based
on unprecedented verification.
And this is a long-term deal, with strict limits on Iran’s
program for more than a decade and unprecedented transparency measures that
will last for 20 years or more. And as a member of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran will never be permitted to develop a nuclear
weapon.
In return for Iran’s actions, the international community,
including the United States, has agreed to provide Iran with phased relief from
certain sanctions. If Iran violates the deal, sanctions can be snapped back
into place. Meanwhile, other American sanctions on Iran for its support of terrorism,
its human rights abuses, its ballistic missile program, all will continue to be
enforced.
As I said this week, many key details will need to be
finalized over the next three months, and nothing is agreed to until everything
is agreed. And if there is backsliding, there will be no deal.
Here in the United States, I expect a robust debate. We’ll
keep Congress and the American people fully briefed on the substance of the
deal. As we engage in this debate, let’s remember – we really only have three
options for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program: bombing Iran’s nuclear
facilities – which will only set its program back a few years – while starting
another war in the Middle East; abandoning negotiations and hoping for the best
with sanctions – even though that’s always led to Iran making more progress in
its nuclear program; or a robust and verifiable deal like this one that
peacefully prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
As President and Commander in Chief, I firmly believe that
the diplomatic option, a comprehensive, long-term deal like this, is by far the
best option – for the United States – for our allies – and for the world.
Our work – this deal – is not yet done. Diplomacy is
painstaking work. Success is not guaranteed. But today we have an historic
opportunity to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons in Iran, and to do so
peacefully, with the international community firmly behind us. And this will be
our work in the days and months ahead in keeping with the best traditions of
American leadership.
The reason it is difficult to believe that Republicans are seeking a "better deal" is because they have gone out of their
way to sabotage the entire diplomatic process. Republicans are not even hiding their war agenda anymore – making the situation with Iran a game of 'war or peace'.
Republicans never learn. The reality is that sanctions and military threats alone
have not worked. Sanctions probably brought the Iranians to the negotiating table, but,
as history has shown, they will not resolve issues surrounding Iran’s
nuclear
program. President Obama is correct –
the door is open for a peaceful resolution.
Let's give peace a chance.
