Key Points from Obama's Article in 30 Major U.S. Publications on the Iran Agreement

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, has written an article published in 30 major U.S. publications as part of his efforts to persuade American public opinion and their representatives in Congress. In his article, Mr. Obama reiterates that rejecting the Iran nuclear agreement will lead to war with the government, a view opposed by his political rivals in Congress. The U.S. President states: 'The nuclear agreement is based on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the framework of which was established during the negotiations between the 1+5 group members and Iran. With this agreement, the United States and its allies, along with the global community, can be assured that Iran's pathways to acquiring nuclear weapons are closed through the implementation of tough new conditions, and its nuclear program will only continue for peaceful purposes.' In the article, first reported by CNN, Mr. Obama invokes John F. Kennedy's leadership style during the Cold War, emphasizing the risk of war with the Islamic Republic of Iran if the nuclear agreement is abandoned. He concludes by stating: 'If we are committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, the options are between a diplomatic solution and another war in the near future in the Middle East that will eventually ignite.' On August 14, during a speech at American University in Washington, he referenced a speech by the late President Kennedy 52 years ago, noting that even twenty years after World War II, with the Soviet Union testing the deadliest weapon, the Berlin Wall being erected, and China approaching nuclear capability, the prospect of catastrophic nuclear war was very real. However, the then President of the United States, contrary to strategists who recommended war against the Soviet Union, presented a different view that resulted in avoiding an unprecedented disaster that we are grateful for today. Mr. Obama added: 'The agreement reached between the global community and the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on a strong tradition of diplomacy. After two years of negotiations, a detailed agreement has been reached that will forever prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons.' Although Mr. Obama's article has been announced in 30 major U.S. publications, the White House press release refers the media to the Star Ledger newspaper in New Jersey, which is the constituency of Senator Robert Menendez, a staunch opponent of the current form of the nuclear agreement. After spending two weeks on summer vacation, the U.S. President has intensified efforts to finalize one of the most controversial foreign policy issues of his presidency and has attracted more representatives to his side ahead of next month's congressional vote on the nuclear agreement with Iran. The Star Ledger on August 29 editorialized in support of the Obama administration's policy, stating that Senator Menendez's continued opposition to the Iran nuclear agreement increases the risk of another war in the Middle East. After Chuck Schumer, the Jewish senator from New York, who is referred to as the successor to Harry Reid, the Democratic minority leader in the U.S. Senate, Robert Menendez is the second senior senator of the Democratic Party who on August 27 stated that he not only rejects the proposed agreement by the Obama administration but will also vote negatively if the President vetoes it. On Thursday, Mr. Obama sent a letter to 'Jerry Nadler,' a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, asking for his support for the agreement with the Islamic Republic. Previously, it was expected that Mr. Nadler would vote negatively on the agreement in Congress, but after receiving the President's letter and studying it, he announced his support for Mr. Obama's policy. This support from the representative from New York is an example of the expanding support among undecided members of Congress for the nuclear agreement. The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that garnering votes from members who have not yet decided how to approach the agreement is very important for the Obama administration, and the White House is working to secure favorable votes from these representatives. The New York Times also reported that the U.S. President emphasized in a letter to congressional Democrats that his administration would unilaterally impose economic pressures on Tehran to prevent aggressive actions by the Islamic Republic in the region and would resort to military options if necessary. In Mr. Obama's letter, it was also stated that sanctions outside of Iran's nuclear program would remain in place. Regarding support for Israel, Mr. Obama emphasized that his administration continuously pursues Israel's security as a sacred duty. However, the heat of the controversy arising from the Associated Press report on the side agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran and the news regarding sampling from the Parchin military base by Iranian inspectors remains intense, although this report was denied with clarifications from the agency. Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, believes that Iran has had the upper hand in negotiations with the Obama administration and has forced the U.S. and the International Atomic Energy Agency to accept an incredible and unusual inspection process that will create a terrible precedent for the future. Reflecting this sense of uncertainty and deep doubts, there is an increase in lobbying by opponents and counter-campaigns by supporters. According to the Associated Press, a liberal group in favor of the agreement, known as 'Alliance for Progress,' has announced that it intends to contribute an additional $500,000 to support advertisements for supporters of the nuclear agreement with Iran.