Obama: Political Struggle Over Nuclear Agreement with Iran Has Gone Too Far

On Saturday, U.S. President Barack Obama called for an end to the political struggles over a potential agreement with Iran and other foreign policy issues. Obama criticized Senator John McCain for deeming Secretary of State John Kerry's explanations regarding the framework of the nuclear agreement less trustworthy than those of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. McCain, who was Obama's rival in the 2008 presidential election, responded by stating that the discrepancies between the U.S. and Iranian narratives about the Lausanne nuclear agreement involve oversight, sanctions relief, and other key issues. According to McCain, 'It cannot be denied that the Obama administration's account of the nuclear agreement is very different from the account provided by the Iranian leader.' The Associated Press reported that Obama acknowledged it is understandable for people to distrust Iran and oppose a deal with it, but he stated, 'It is problematic to suggest that our Secretary of State is somehow distorting what has transpired in discussions with a foreign power (especially one you consider an enemy).' Obama, clearly frustrated by the Republican majority's posturing in Congress, specifically mentioned Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate Majority Leader, saying he 'shouts everywhere' that Americans should not trust the U.S. to achieve its climate change goals. McConnell has encouraged U.S. states to disregard regulations that Obama has put in place regarding nuclear power plant activities. McConnell expressed the opinion that even if these regulations remain after Obama's presidency, the U.S. will not be able to achieve the President's set goals in this area. Obama also reiterated his criticisms of 47 Republican senators who, prior to the last round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and six world powers in Lausanne, wrote an open letter to Iranian leaders stating that Congress is not necessarily obligated to implement any agreement with the current U.S. administration after Obama's presidency ends. Obama remarked on these issues that 'regardless of who the president and secretary of state are, this approach is not appropriate for foreign policy.' In the Saturday press conference, Obama once again emphasized his confidence that the Lausanne agreement is the best way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He added that if a reliable agreement is not reached in the final negotiations, the U.S. can walk away from the talks.