U.S. President Barack Obama called on Congress Wednesday to back the nuclear deal with Iran.
“Now more than ever, we need clear thinking in our foreign policy,” Obama said during a speech at American University in Washington, D.C.
The landmark deal, after 10 years of negotiations, is now being reviewed by the United States' Congress with strong opposition from Israel, as well as the U.S. Republican majority that controls the House and the Senate.
Despite the wide international consensus surrounding the deal – which would allow Iran to develop nuclear energy, but prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons – Republican lawmakers have riled against it.
Aiming to dissuade Republican criticism, Obama argued the international agreement “cuts off all of Iran's pathways to a nuclear bomb.”
“The question … is not whether to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but how,” he said.
Comparing opposition to the deal to past U.S. blunders in the Middle East, Obama argued the same hawks that backed the invasion of Iraq also oppose the Iran agreement.
However, he touted a “diplomatic resolution” as a more viable option.
“Hard, painstaking diplomacy, not saber-rattling ... ratcheted up pressure on Iran,” he said.
Under the deal, Tehran’s nuclear ability would be significantly limited for at least 10 years. In return, six world powers that have been negotiating with Iran would agree to lift international oil and financial sanctions.
Tehran would also allow inspectors from the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency to seek visits to Iranian military sites as part of their monitoring duties.
However, such visits could be denied or delayed by the Iranian government. In such cases, an arbitration board composed of Iran and the six world powers would have to be convened to determine the right of access.
Iran and five world powers, namely the U.S., France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China, have been engaged in months-long negotiations aimed at ending the standoff between the West and Tehran over its nuclear program.
Over the years, the United States and its allies have accused Iran of developing a nuclear weapon. Iran has repeatedly denied those allegations and stated that its program was intended for civil purposes, which is every nation's right under international treaties.
Obama praised the deal as the “strongest non-proliferation agreement ever negotiated” on the international stage. He warned if Iran “cheats,” international sanctions will “snap” back into place immediately.
The president's comments were largely aimed at critics within the U.S. Congress. Although Obama doesn't technically need formal congressional approval to enact the Iran deal, Congress could pass a resolution to bar the U.S. government from accepting the agreement. Obama warned such a move by the Republican-dominated Congress would be a step backwards.
He argued, “By killing this deal Congress would not only pave Iran's pathway to a bomb, it would accelerate it.”
“It is hard to imagine a worse approach than blocking this deal,” he said.