Obama Emphasizes Efforts to Reach a 'Comprehensive' Nuclear Agreement with Iran

The White House states that in a recent phone conversation between the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Israel, Barack Obama emphasized the United States' focus on reaching a 'comprehensive agreement' with Iran that assures the international community that Tehran's nuclear program is peaceful. In a brief statement regarding the phone call on January 12, Obama stressed the importance of an agreement that 'prevents Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and convincingly assures the global community of the entirely peaceful nature of its nuclear program.' The U.S. President also assured Netanyahu that the U.S. is 'firmly committed to the security of Israel and the importance of continuing close cooperation on this matter.' The leaders of the U.S. and Israel discussed Iran's nuclear negotiations at a time when Secretary of State John Kerry is set to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in the coming days. This meeting is part of the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group, and the French news agency reports that the U.S. Secretary of State hopes to accelerate the process. On the same day that Obama and Netanyahu discussed Iran's nuclear program, Samantha Power, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, stated that the President is not willing to work with Congress to impose new sanctions on Iran. Power indicated that new sanctions against Tehran would 'almost certainly' end the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the six world powers. These remarks come as a group of members of Congress, currently controlled by Republicans in both the Senate and House of Representatives, have called for new pressures on Tehran. Iran and the U.S., along with the UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany in the P5+1 group, continue discussions aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement after two extensions of the negotiation deadline. The new deadline for these talks has been extended for another six months. During the phone call between Obama and Netanyahu, the topic of Palestine was also raised, with the U.S. President stating that he does not believe the Palestinian Authority's efforts to join the International Criminal Court are constructive. The White House also stated that Washington remains strongly opposed to actions from either side that undermine trust and lead both parties to seek ways to escalate tensions.