Obama: The Nuclear Agreement with Iran Prevented Another War

On Tuesday, January 12, Barack Obama, the President of the United States, defended his record in domestic and international arenas during his final annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. Obama initially addressed significant domestic issues before moving on to major international challenges, including terrorism, the Islamic State (ISIS), and Al-Qaeda. He also spoke about Iran's nuclear program, stating: "With the formation of a global coalition along with sanctions and principled diplomacy, we succeeded in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." The U.S. President continued, "As I speak to you now, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program, transferred its uranium stockpile abroad, and the world has prevented another war." Iran and six world powers reached an agreement in July of this year in Vienna to resolve the country's nuclear issue. According to this agreement, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), sensitive parts of Iran's nuclear program are limited in exchange for the lifting of some international sanctions. In another part of his remarks, Obama referred to his priorities, stating: "My top priority is to protect the American people and combat terrorist networks. Al-Qaeda and ISIS are direct threats to our people, as in today's world, a handful of terrorists who do not value human life can cause significant damage." The U.S. President noted that ISIS and Al-Qaeda attempt to present themselves as representatives of one of the world's oldest religions, saying: "We must call them what they are; they are murderers and extremists who must be pursued and eliminated." He also stated that the U.S. has formed a coalition of 60 countries to combat ISIS, including cutting off the financial system and destroying other resources of this group. The U.S. President continued, "In the past year, there have been 10,000 airstrikes against ISIS positions, which have destroyed their leadership, oil fields, training camps, and weapons." He mentioned the military training of anti-ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria, stating that the group is gradually losing territory under its control in Iraq and Syria. Obama then addressed the issue of relations with Cuba, stating that the 50-year policy of isolating Cuba has not led to the expansion of democracy. The U.S. President added: "For this reason, we resumed diplomatic relations, opened the doors to trade and travel, and took this position to improve the lives of the Cuban people." Barack Obama emphasized that he accepted that the Cold War era has ended. The United States and Cuba announced last December that they would re-establish diplomatic relations after nearly half a century. The U.S. President began by saying that in his final address to Congress, he wanted to talk about the future. Obama stated: "I do not want to just talk about the next year; I want to discuss issues related to the next five and ten years and beyond." He added: "We must talk about the future and how to create opportunities for every American citizen, how to harness technology." The U.S. President referred to the positive economic trend in America, stating: "Now, the United States has the strongest and most stable economy in the world." Obama emphasized that anyone who claims that the U.S. economy is in decline is living in a fantasy. The U.S. President also asserted that every citizen who works hard deserves to have a fair opportunity in society. Barack Obama continued to discuss the spirit of effort, innovation, and invention among Americans, saying: "America is the Wright brothers and Edison. America is Sally Ride, the astronaut. America is every immigrant and entrepreneur from Boston and Austin to Silicon Valley." Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, responded moments after Obama's speech during a live television program on behalf of the Republican Party. Nikki Haley said that Obama speaks well about everything, but there is a significant gap between his words and his record. She added that after Obama's presidency, America has the opportunity to move in a different direction.