Obama: Agreement with Iran Requires 10 Years of Reduced Nuclear Activity

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, stated in an interview with Reuters that reaching a final nuclear agreement with Iran requires the Islamic Republic to suspend its sensitive nuclear activities for at least 10 years, allowing the West to be assured of the cessation of these activities. According to Mr. Obama, the Islamic Republic is essentially inclined towards an agreement that would allow Iran to maintain its current nuclear program for a period of 10 to 20 years, even if such an agreement necessitates dismantling parts of Iran's current nuclear program during that time. These remarks from Obama come after the White House denied reports a week prior regarding the examination of a 10-year nuclear agreement plan between the United States and Iran. Mr. Obama, speaking in an exclusive interview with Reuters on Monday, March 2, referred to this 10-year deadline but also added that it is still unclear whether such an agreement can be reached, and the likelihood of Iran saying 'no' is still greater. Barack Obama explained that his main concern is that Iran may not agree to stringent inspections and a significant reduction in uranium enrichment levels. The U.S. President added, 'However, if they agree, this approach is much more effective than if we were to consider military action to curb Iran's nuclear program or if Israel were to consider military action or if we were to continue sanctions.' Obama further stated that the goal of the United States is to ensure that whenever the Islamic Republic attempts to acquire a nuclear bomb, it would take 'at least a year' for Iran to achieve this. 'The Iranians have been serious negotiators,' Mr. Obama continued in his interview with Reuters, which took place at the White House, adding, 'But to be fair, we must say that the Iranians have been serious negotiators and they certainly have their domestic politics to consider.' He noted that the chances of reaching a final agreement with Iran have increased compared to three or five months ago. Meanwhile, nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers continue in Switzerland, and negotiating parties have stated that they are working to reach a political understanding by early April. After that, they have until July 9 to reach a comprehensive agreement. In this context, critics argue that the Obama administration is not being tough enough on Iran, which could ultimately lead to the preservation of the necessary infrastructure for building a nuclear bomb in Iran. Barack Obama also criticized the position of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that there is a 'fundamental disagreement' between him and Netanyahu on how to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb. Netanyahu warned again on Monday in his speech at AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the U.S., that a nuclear agreement with Iran would endanger Israel's existence. Netanyahu is also scheduled to speak on Tuesday in the U.S. Congress against the nuclear agreement process with Iran. In the meantime, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, referred to Netanyahu's visit to the U.S. and stated, 'Netanyahu threatens Obama, and in Iran, the hardliners say we will reveal secrets.' 'Hardliners' is a term used to refer to a group of critics of Rouhani's government policies, especially regarding nuclear negotiations; most of them are close to the Stability Front, the most serious opposition group to Hassan Rouhani's government. According to IRNA, Rafsanjani, speaking at a conference, added that 'when the nuclear negotiation team returns to the country, instead of welcoming them at the airport, hardliners go and tell them things they should not say.' The head of the Expediency Discernment Council further commented that 'the nuclear negotiations are close to a result.'