The war mongers aren’t digging the landmark deal that the United States and five other world powers (P5 plus 1 partners: the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China, as well as the European Union) announced on Sunday to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for limited sanctions relief. It’s called diplomacy, and it’s what Obama ran on regarding his preferred approach to most foreign policy.
The President’s sanctions against Iran and hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program have had a rather large first step success with this deal. Announcing it, Obama said, “Today, that diplomacy opened up a new path toward a world that is more secure — a future in which we can verify that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and that it cannot build a nuclear weapon.”
Watch here:
The President explained that he used diplomacy because he preferred to resolve this issue peacefully if possible, “Since I took office, I’ve made clear my determination to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. As I’ve said many times, my strong preference is to resolve this issue peacefully, and we’ve extended the hand of diplomacy. Yet for many years, Iran has been unwilling to meet its obligations to the international community. So my administration worked with Congress, the United Nations Security Council and countries around the world to impose unprecedented sanctions on the Iranian government.”
The sanctions that Republicans scoffed at have actually worked. Obama explained that they have had a “substantial impact on the Iranian economy”.
And the big deal (and it is a very big deal that the war mongers will try to play down in a desperate attempt to prove that peaceful diplomacy never works), “Today, that diplomacy opened up a new path toward a world that is more secure — a future in which we can verify that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and that it cannot build a nuclear weapon.”
Obama explained that this is just a first step. “While today’s announcement is just a first step, it achieves a great deal. For the first time in nearly a decade, we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program, and key parts of the program will be rolled back. Iran has committed to halting certain levels of enrichment and neutralizing part of its stockpiles. Iran cannot use its next-generation centrifuges, which are used for enriching uranium. Iran cannot install or start up new centrifuges, and its production of centrifuges will be limited. Iran will halt work at its plutonium reactor. And new inspections will provide extensive access to Iran’s nuclear facilities and allow the international community to verify whether Iran is keeping its commitments.”
In exchange, the U.S. and her allies will provide Iran with “modest relief”. “Over the next six months, we will work to negotiate a comprehensive solution.”
The President made the case for diplomacy again and stuck it to the war mongers (many of whom have been trying to paint Obama as weak on this issue because he wouldn’t escalate matters with force), “Ultimately, only diplomacy can bring about a durable solution to the challenge posed by Iran’s nuclear program. As President and Commander-in-Chief, I will do what is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But I have a profound responsibility to try to resolve our differences peacefully, rather than rush towards conflict. Today, we have a real opportunity to achieve a comprehensive, peaceful settlement, and I believe we must test it.”
Gee, this is being hailed as a landmark deal and yet we’ve been told that this president’s presidency is over because of website glitches. If that were even remotely true, he’d have no influence in foreign policy and yet here he is, bringing home the diplomatic solution he championed on this issue.
While many are unhappy with this deal and Republicans will pick it apart until you want to tear your hair out in frustration, don’t miss the salient point that diplomacy and sanctions worked to bring parties to the table. Yes this is just a first step, but it’s also a BFD.
Read the White House fact sheet “First Step Understandings Regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Nuclear Program” here.
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