Obama has begun discussions to present the nuclear agreement to Congress

The President of the United States will speak on Wednesday, July 15, at a press conference regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran, which is seen as part of his efforts to present and promote the agreement to representatives and public opinion. Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, stated on July 14 that the President has already held a meeting with some lawmakers. Reports indicate that Hillary Clinton, the leading Democratic candidate in next year's presidential election, is among those who have been contacted. While Republicans, who are mostly opposed to the agreement, hold the majority in Congress, Obama must at least garner the support of the majority of Democratic representatives. Congress has 60 days to review the agreement; if Congress votes negatively, Obama can veto it. However, if Congress can secure the approval of more than two-thirds of lawmakers, Obama's veto will be nullified. According to the Associated Press, the President has openly warned Congress that failing to approve the nuclear agreement would be an irresponsible act. The fundamental goal of the President is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He stated in an interview with the New York Times on July 14 that this agreement should not be viewed through the lens of regime change or solving all problems related to Iran and ending its 'malicious activities' in the world. He further explained that the reason Washington was able to reach a global consensus for sanctions against Iran was that the world agreed with the U.S. that if Tehran acquires nuclear weapons, it poses a significant threat to the region, U.S. allies, and the world. He also added that there is no agreement that Iran cannot access nuclear energy, and as a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Tehran argues that it has the 'right to access a peaceful nuclear program.' He continued, 'What we could do was to say that considering your past activities, our strong suspicions, and the evidence regarding attempts to militarize the nuclear program, along with your actions in destabilizing the region and supporting terrorism, it is not enough to rely solely on your words about the peacefulness of your nuclear program. You must prove this to us. And everything we have built now is not based on trust but on verifying Iran's nuclear program.' The President referred to previous negotiations with the former Soviet Union, which he claimed was 'a far greater threat to U.S. security,' or at another time with China, stating that it is worth negotiating with Tehran as well. According to the French news agency, the White House held meetings away from public view with Congress, journalists, foreign governments, and NGOs about the framework when the initial understanding in Lausanne was formed in April. However, the final agreement has led to intense and ongoing lobbying in Washington, with both opposing and supporting experts seeking to gain public support for the Vienna agreement. The President and senior members of his administration are also immediately engaged in presenting and promoting the agreement to garner maximum support for it. On Tuesday, the President spoke with leaders from Germany, France, Britain, the European Union, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Israel regarding the agreement. Among these, Israel is considered one of the most significant opponents of the agreement, with its Prime Minister explicitly accusing the West of capitulating to Tehran. According to Reuters, Obama described the Vienna agreement as beneficial to Israeli interests in a call with Benjamin Netanyahu, while emphasizing that 'the nuclear agreement with Iran does not reduce U.S. concerns about Iran's support for terrorism and its threats against Israel.' Iran and six world powers, following discussions that began with the coming to power of Hassan Rouhani's government regarding Tehran's nuclear program, reached an agreement on July 15 in Vienna, Austria, which many media outlets around the world describe as 'historic.' This agreement, in addition to its supporters, faces opposition both within the United States and Iran, as well as among some officials from other countries.