President Barack Obama, who is keen on an agreement on the Iran nuclear issue, has sought to warn Tehran and reassure critics of the negotiations that the United States would “walk away” if there is no acceptable deal. “If there’s no deal, then we walk away,” Obama said in an interview to CBS News, stressing Tehran’s acceptance of a sound verification mechanism and the stipulation on a breakout period.
“If we cannot verify that they are not going to obtain a nuclear weapon, that there’s a breakout period, so that even if they cheated we would be able to have enough time to take action, if we don’t have that kind of deal, then we’re not going to take it,” he said in the interview aired on Sunday. Obama said progress has been made in narrowing the gaps that P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) have had in their talks with Iran, but noted “those gaps still exist”.
The world powers have time till March 24 to reach an agreement with Iran under which Tehran have to abandon its ambitions for a nuclear weapon, but will be allowed use of enriched plutonium for peaceful purposes. “Over the next month or so, we’re going to be able to determine whether or not their system is able to accept what would be an extraordinarily reasonable deal, if in fact, as they say, they are only interested in peaceful nuclear programmes,” Obama said, adding Iran will have to accept strong verification and constraints.
He, however, defended the ongoing talks, saying: “We’re not losing anything through these talks.” The good news has been that in the duration of the talks going on for well over a year, Iran has abided by the terms of the interim agreement and not advanced its nuclear programme. Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, have sought to warn Iran that any nuclear deal they reach with President Obama won’t last after he leaves office. An open letter, signed by 47 Republican Senators, sought to put it to Iranian leadership that any agreement not approved by the US Congress could be easily revoked by the next President and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement.
“We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons programme that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei,” the letter said, adding: “The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of an agreement at any time.”
Signatories to the open letter, released on Monday, included Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell and several senior Senators, including John McCain and Orrin Hatch. It has also been signed by three Senators who are regarded as possible 2016 presidential contenders – Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.