Washington: Giving the credit to 'US diplomacy', President Barack Obama on Tuesday hailed the historic nuclear deal signed between Iran and six world powers.
Obama said that the deal shows that American diplomacy can bring “real and meaningful change”.
"Today after two years of negotiations, the US and its international partners have achieved something that that decades of animosity has not, a comprehensive deal,” Obama said at the start of his speech.
"This deal demonstrates that American diplomacy can bring about real and meaningful change" —@POTUS on the #IranDeal
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 14, 2015
"Because of this deal, Iran will not produce...highly enriched uranium & weapons-grade plutonium" —@POTUS #IranDeal pic.twitter.com/JTKu2jQKau
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 14, 2015
"We put sanctions in place to get a diplomatic resolution, and that is what we have done." —@POTUS: http://t.co/3PJ1t0Zk7U #IranDeal
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 14, 2015
Asserting that the deal was an effective one, which would not let Iran make any nuke weapons, Obama said, “This deal meets every single one of the bottom lines...we established when we achieved a framework earlier this spring”.
Obama assured that the deal will not let Iran manufacture “highly enriched uranium & weapons-grade plutonium”.
"Every pathway to a nuclear weapon is cut off. Iran will remove two-thirds of its centrifuges. Iran will get rid of 98% of its nuclear material. Iran will modify its reactor so it cannot enrich uranium.
For the first time we will be in a position to ensure all these commitments," Obama said stressing on the key points of the deal.
Obama's comments seemed directed towards Israel as PM Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the accord saying the deal would fund “Iran's terror machine”.
Obama reiterated that it was in America's national security interests to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“An Iran armed with a nuclear weapon would be far more destabilizing & far more dangerous to our friends and to the world,” Obama said.
In wake of fears of US Congress (Republicans) putting hurdles in the way of implementation of the deal, Obama claimed that he would not hesitate to veto "any legislation that prevents the implementation of this deal".
Urging Congress not to walk away from the deal, Obama said, "I would remind Congress that you don't make deals like this with your friends".
"Iran nuclear deal not based on trust, but verification," Obama said.
Calling the nuke deal as "an opportunity to move in a new direction", Obama said that even though the differences between the countries were "real, and the difficult history between our nations cannot be ignored", but things can change
"This deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction, we should seize it," Obama said concludinh his speech.
